Modi-Zelensky meet turns heat on frozen Ukraine War
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, May 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is being seen as a show stopper event of G7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan. Zelensky, fresh from his Arab world outreach, sought the Indian support in the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula, which to the liking of India is pinned on the territorial sovereignty.
“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,” tweeted Zelensky after the meeting.
Modi on his part made it clear that the Ukraine War is a big issue in the world. “Ukraine War is a big issue in the world. I don’t consider it to be just an issue of economy, politics, for me, it is an issue of humanity. India and I will do whatever we can for resolution of war,” Modi tweeted after the meeting, which was also attended by Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Modi’s meeting with Zelensky is drawing parallel with his bilateral with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Modi had then counselled Putin that “this is not an era of war”. “I know that today’s era is not of war and we have talked to you many times over the phone on the subject that democracy and diplomacy and dialogue…,” Modi had told Putin.
While Chinese President Xi Jinping has not yet met Zelensky, only talking to him on phone, Modi’s meeting assumes significance as he clearly underlined that the Ukraine War is an issue of concern for all unlike the concerns in Europe that India was looking at the Russia-Ukraine War as a European issue. Besides, India is raising its stake in the global multilateral world, as New Delhi gears up to host the Quad next year, while holding the presidency of G20. With India holding significant diplomatic heft with Russia because of trade surge since the onset of the Ukraine War, Modi is again being seen with hope to build pressure on Russia to back off from the Ukrainian offensive.
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