Modi talks to Zelensky, offers help with peace

During a phone conversation with Zelensky, Modi reiterated his call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told President Volodymyr Zelensky that there can be no military solution to the war in Ukraine, and India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts.

PM Narendra Modi with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky at COP26 summit last year.

During a phone conversation with Zelensky, Modi reiterated his call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. The remarks came a little more than two weeks after Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “today’s era is not of war”.

In a readout on the Modi-Zelensky conversation, the external affairs ministry said: The leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Modi expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts, the readout said.

During the conversation, Modi reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, international law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Modi emphasised the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine. He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment.

The remarks on nuclear facilities came against the backdrop of Ukraine’s nuclear power provider asserting on Saturday that Russian forces had detained the head of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, soon after Russia annexed Ukrainian territories, including the area around the atomic plant.

Modi and Zelensky touched on important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021.

The two leaders last spoke on phone in March, soon after the launch of the Russian invasion on February 24, when Modi expressed deep concern over the conflict and humanitarian crisis. At that time, Modi also said India has “always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties”.

Modi had also thanked Ukrainian authorities for their help in evacuating more than 20, 000 Indian citizens from Ukraine.

While refraining from publicly criticising Russia’s actions, the Indian leadership has consistently called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. At the same time, India has always called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Modi’s remarks to Putin during a meeting on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan last month were welcomed by the leadership of Western powers such as the US and France. Modi had nudged Putin to end the war and to take into consideration the problems of food and energy security faced by developing countries because of the conflict.

However, Putin subsequently ordered a partial mobilisation of reservists and went ahead with referendums in four regions of Ukraine as a precursor to their annexation.

Sameer Patil, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), said: Modi’s phone call with Zelensky is obviously a follow-up of his comments made to Putin during the SCO Summit. This interaction seeks to capitalise on the growing military stalemate in Ukraine and hopes to burnish India’s credentials as a bridge between the two competing blocks.