India welcomes Russian Prez Putin’s offer of direct talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky

India, which has not censured Russia for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the fighting

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer of direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said the proposed dialogue is an opportunity for the two countries to address their concerns directly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered “serious negotiations” with Zelensky on May 15 to eliminate the “root causes of the conflict” and establish a “long-term, lasting peace” (via REUTERS)

Putin offered “serious negotiations” with Zelensky on May 15 to eliminate the “root causes of the conflict” and establish a “long-term, lasting peace”. He said it may be possible for the two sides to agree on a new truce during the proposed negotiations and this would be the first step toward a sustainable peace.

“India welcomes Russia’s offer for direct talks with Ukraine,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing when he was asked about the Russian offer of direct talks with Ukraine.

“Talks present an opportunity for both parties to address their concerns through dialogue and diplomacy. India has consistently advocated the need for sincere and practical engagement between Russia and Ukraine to ensure early and abiding peace,” he said.

India, which has not censured Russia for the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy to end the fighting. During meetings with Putin and Zelensky last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his message that “this is not an era of war” and said solutions cannot be found on the battlefield and that talks will not succeed while the fighting continues.

Zelensky responded to Putin’s offer to hold talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on May 15 by calling for an immediate ceasefire. “It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” Zelensky said. “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time and the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”

European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have called on Russia to agree to an unconditional ceasefire or face “new and massive” sanctions.