Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN Security Council that to “completely” end the Russia-Ukraine war we need to prepare for a second peace summit and he invited India and other countries to join the peace process.
“We all know what needs to be done if we look at the situation honestly and really want to stop Russia’s war. The most important thing is that the world must act together, certainly in unity, without creating new and unnecessary divisions into blocs or regional groups,” Zelensky said at a Security Council meeting on the Ukraine conflict on Tuesday.
Zelensky said unity always works for peace and “We have to prepare for the second peace summit to completely end the war. And I invite all of you, all major nations to join this process, all who truly respect the UN Charter. We invite China. We invite Brazil. I’ve already invited India. We’re working with African countries, all countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Pacific region, and North America. Everyone.” Zelensky said everyone is “equally important for peace, everyone without exception. Exactly the way the UN Charter should work, without exception”.
The Ukrainian president said the process “will lead us to peace, just peace, real peace, lasting peace. We all already know how to achieve it. We have the formula for peace, we have the UN Charter and we have all the strength to achieve it. All that is needed is determination.” Zelensky met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York on Monday, before the Indian leader completes his three-day visit to the US.
Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Zelensky, at the request of the Ukrainian side, took place on the sidelines of other engagements including attending the Quad Leaders Summit and addressing the UN’s ‘Summit of the Future’.
This was the third meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Zelensky in three months.
Prime Minister Modi met the Ukrainian leader in Kyiv last month, while in July he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
In June, Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Italy.
“We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine last month to strengthen bilateral ties. Reiterated India’s support for an early resolution of the conflict and restoration of peace and stability in Ukraine,” the Prime Minister said on X after meeting with Zelensky on Monday.
Zelensky said this was the third bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi this year. He said the main focus of their talks was on “enhancing our interaction at international forums, especially at the UN and the G-20, as well as implementing the peace formula and preparing for the second peace summit. We had a substantive discussion on the available opportunities.” The Ukrainian President said, “We are actively developing our relations and working together to strengthen cooperation in various fields.” He said he was “grateful for the unequivocal support of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Responding to a question during a press briefing on the discussion with the Ukrainian leader on the second peace summit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the discussions covered a wide range of issues related to finding a way forward.
Mr. Misri said that many things came up, like the peace summit held in Switzerland, the ideas that emerged after that, the efforts being made by Ukraine at its own level and the possibility of a second peace summit that Ukraine is talking about.
“But I think we are not in a position yet to discuss the second peace summit in detail. I think there is a lot of work to be done before that, so there was not much discussion on that specific issue.” Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Pawan Kapoor represented India at the ‘Summit on Peace in Ukraine’ hosted by Switzerland at Bürgenstock on June 15-16.
The Indian delegation participated in the opening and closing plenary sessions, but India did not associate itself with any of the communiqués/documents emerging from the Summit.
The MEA said, “India’s participation in the Summit and earlier NSA/Political Director level meetings based on the Ukraine peace formula was in line with our consistent approach to facilitate a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that such a solution requires a sincere and pragmatic engagement between the two parties to the conflict.”
The Ministry of External Affairs said that in this regard, India will maintain contact with all stakeholders and both sides and will contribute to all serious efforts to bring early and lasting peace.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
