'To Commence Peace Talks Is Prerogative of the Two Parties to the Conflict', Says MEA on Kyiv's Proposal to India

MEA spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal said that in its outreach to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level, India has always advocated a constructive, solution-oriented engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict. The prime minister has already hinted at India's willingness to play a constructive role in the interest of peace.Rpresentational image (X@MEAIndia)

New Delhi: India have always advocated constructive, solution-oriented and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict, said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

In response to a media query regarding if any request has been made by the Ukrainian side to India for holding a peace summit aimed at ending the war, MEA spokesperson Randhi Jaiswal said, "We have always advocated constructive, solution-oriented and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict. This is evident in our outreach to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level.

"PM has already indicated India's willingness to play a constructive role in the interest of peace. However, it is too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways at this stage. The decision to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict. As friends and partners, we would support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace", Jaiswal added.

According to sources, during a recent visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested holding a summit in India to help end the ongoing war with Russia. This summit would be a follow-up to a meeting in June and is aimed at garnering support for Ukraine from nations in the Global South. The proposed summit in India is significant as it shows progress in Ukraine's efforts to resolve the conflict, despite initial reservations from India due to Russia's exclusion from the talks.

The peace summit aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, that took place on June 15-16 this year, was hosted by Switzerland and saw the participation of over 100 countries and organizations. Despite high expectations, the summit fell short of its goal to solidify global support. China did not attend the summit, and India, along with delegations from Indonesia and South Africa, also chose not to sign the final communique.

It is pertinent to note that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed strong disapproval of India's ongoing purchases of Russian crude oil, which he alleges are contributing to the sustenance of Russia's war economy during the conflict with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy's comments followed a Russian missile attack on Ukraine's largest children's hospital, which occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last month. He implied that the timing of the attack while Modi was in Russia indicated a lack of respect from Russian President Vladimir Putin towards India and its leadership.

During a press briefing last week following his talks with Prime Minister Modi, Zelenskyy said “India has global influence as a very big country…and a very big influence on the Russian economy. Today, you have it, and it’s true because really a lot of export possibilities for Russia were closed but India is open,” Zelensky stated. He emphasized that India’s oil imports from Russia generate billions of dollars, which he claims are being funneled into Russia’s military efforts against Ukraine".

Reacting to Zelenskyy's comment, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal today noted that the Ukrainian side has their perspective on various matters and is sharing them with the media. "As far as we are concerned, we will be guided by the bilateral discussions including the exchange of views during the visit, which we believe will pave the way for stronger bilateral ties apart from facilitating more forward-looking discussions on the possibility of peaceful resolution of the conflict", Jaiswal said on Friday, August 30.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine last week and made it clear to the Ukrainian Prez that dialouge and diplomacy is the only way forward to end the conflict.