Zelenskyy holds bilateral talks with PM Modi, invites India to join Ukraine peace formula

Following the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited India to join Ukraine’s peace formula. On Saturday, the Ukrainian President took to his Telegram channel to talk about the meeting. The face-to-face sit-down that took place between the two world leaders was the first that took place since the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine war. Throughout the catastrophic war, India advocated for the establishment of peace. In September last year, the Indian premiere told Russian President Vladimir Putin that this current climate is “not an era of war”.   

“During his visit to Japan and participation in the summit of the Group of Seven countries, I met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,” PM Modi wrote in his Telegram post. “During the meeting, I spoke about Ukraine's needs in humanitarian demining and mobile hospitals. Briefed Narendra Modi in detail about the initiative of the Ukrainian peace formula and invited India to join its implementation,” Zelenskyy further added in the post. He then went on to thank India and PM Modi for “supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Ukraine. 

‘Russia-Ukraine war is not a political matter’: PM Modi 

From the ongoing war to the need for ensuring global security, both PM Modi and Zelenskyy sat down to discuss wide-ranging issues on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “Russia-Ukraine war is not a political matter for me,” the PM asserted during his bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy. He also touched upon the wide array of implications of the ongoing war and highlighted how it has impacted the world. “This was a major matter for the entire world. The war also had all kinds of implications for the world. For me the matter is not political, it is a matter of humanity for me,” he added. He then went on highlight the pains and trauma that come with the war and touched upon the narrations given by the Indian students who were stranded in the conflict-stricken country when the war started last year. “You know about the pain of war more than us. Our stranded children who came to our land gave a view of the crisis you all are going through,” the PM asserted. 

In the meeting PM Modi gave assurance to the Ukrainian President that India will do whatever in its capacity to find a solution to the raging war. “I assure you that, India and personally I will do whatever is in our capacity to find a solution to the war,” the Indian Prime Minister concluded. Both PM Modi and Zelenskyy sat down for the meeting along with Ukranian and the Indian delegation. PM Modi sat alongside Foreign Minister Jaishankar and National Security advisory Ajit Doval. The Ukrainian President also talked about the meeting on Twitter. “Had a meeting with Prime Minister of India @narendramodi in Japan. I briefed the interlocutor in detail on the Ukrainian Peace Formula initiative and invited India to join its implementation. I spoke about Ukraine's needs in humanitarian demining and mobile hospitals. I thank India for supporting our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, in particular, at the platforms of international organizations, and for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy tweeted on Saturday.