PM Narendra Modi deeply concerned by Ukraine conflict, meeting with Zelenskyy demonstrates commitment to finding way forward

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is deeply concerned by the war in Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy here demonstrates his commitment to finding a way forward and contributing in any way possible to a resolution of the conflict, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

Modi on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN's Summit of the Future before wrapping up his three-day visit to the US.

Misri said the meeting was requested by the Ukrainian side and “accordingly took place”.

“Our voice in support of peace and path through dialogue and diplomacy is not new one. It's natural for us to assume this role. I think the prime minister's meeting with President Zelenskyy also reflects his own, in a sense, commitment to this effort because he is deeply concerned by this conflict, not just in terms of the human toll that it is taking -- something that he has recognised -- but also in terms of the toll that it is taking on the world at large, especially on countries in the Global South,” Misri said in response to a question on the meeting.

The meeting with Zelenskyy “demonstrates” Modi's “commitment to finding a way forward and to contributing in any way possible to a resolution of this conflict”, he said.

Misri, briefing the media after the conclusion of the prime minister's visit to the US, said the meeting gave an opportunity to take stock again of recent developments.

Modi recalled his visit to Kyiv last month, their discussions on all matters, bilateral issues and those surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Zelenskyy was very appreciative of India's attention to these issues and said that the prime minister's visit had been highly appreciated, and he thanked the prime minister for the efforts that he was making for peace and a pathway to finding a way out of this conflict,” Misri said.

Monday's meeting was the third between the two leaders in little over three months.

Modi had met the Ukrainian leader in Kyiv last month, just weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July.

In June, Modi held a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy.

Misri said both sides appreciated that there was a “positive momentum” on a lot of issues in the bilateral relationship and the two leaders agreed to remain in close touch, either directly or through exchanges of visits at various other levels.

Misri said there was some discussion about arranging a meeting of the Inter-governmental Commission, headed at the levels of foreign ministers of the two countries.

The meeting between Modi and Zelenskyy, which lasted for about 45 minutes, was the last bilateral engagement of the day for the prime minister as he wrapped up his visit to the US during which he attended the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware, held bilateral discussions with US President Joe Biden, and addressed a mega diaspora event in Long Island.

In response to a question on whether there was an acceptance of India's argument that the import of Russian oil does not translate into furthering Moscow's war effort, Misri said: “That did not figure in the discussions today. A lot of the issues have been discussed and at this particular meeting, this particular subject was not discussed." In his address to the Summit of the Future, Modi underscored that the "success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield”.

Misri added that in his meeting with Zelenskyy, the prime minister said he always spoke about peace and moving forward on the path of peace.

It is clear that if there is no peace then there cannot be sustainable development as these two are inter-connected, Misri said.

Misri added that only time will tell whether the war will end and everyone's efforts are focused on finding a way to end the conflict.

Modi told Zelenskyy that he has spoken to various world leaders on this issue and everyone agrees that a way has to be found out to bring an end to the war. “Our efforts are also ongoing for this,” he said.

In response to another question on Ukraine, Misri said there has to be clarity on the normative aspect.

Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's statement that “there is no path to peace, peace is the path”, Misri said there needs to be an agreement on that.

“The discussions that are ongoing today are focused on the specifics. There are obviously discussions going on in multiple forums around the world,” Misri said, adding that various processes are underway and there are various formats.

“We've been involved in some of those where the idea has been to try and see if there is something around which a consensus can develop.” After the prime minister's visit to Kyiv, he has been in touch with Putin as well as US President Joe Biden.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also visited Russia earlier this month. “So there are several conversations that are going on. The attempt in all of these is to try and move towards some specifics. I don't say that the specifics are available today, but the attempt is to do precisely that,” the foreign secretary said.

On a question on discussions with the Ukrainian leader on a second peace summit, Misri said the discussions covered a lot of issues involving finding a way forward.

Misri added that many things came up in this, the peace summit that was held in Switzerland, the ideas that have been floated after that, the efforts that Ukraine is making on its own, and the possibility of a second peace summit that Ukraine has been talking about.

“But I think we are not right now at a stage where the second peace summit can be discussed in any detail. I think there is a lot of work that remains to be done before that, so there was not a great deal of discussion on that specific issue,” Misri said.