New York: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the UN Security Council, emphasizing the need to prepare for a second peace summit aimed at concluding the Russia-Ukraine war “altogether”. He extended invitations to India and other nations to join this peace initiative.
“We all know what needs to be done if we honestly look at the situation and truly want to stop Russia’s war. Most importantly, act together, of course in unity, without creating new and unnecessary divisions of the world into blocks or regional groups,” Zelenskyy stated during a Security Council meeting focused on the Ukraine conflict.
Zelenskyy stressed that unity is crucial for achieving peace, asserting, “we have to prepare the second peace summit to end the war altogether. And I invite all of you, all principle nations to join us in this process, all who truly respect the UN Charter. We invite China. We invite Brazil. I have already invited India. We are working with African nations, all of Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Pacific region, and North America. All.” He emphasized that every nation is “equally important for peace, all without exceptions,” echoing the necessity for the UN Charter to function universally.
The Ukrainian leader expressed optimism about the peace process, stating, “This process will lead us to peace, to a just peace, a real peace, a peace that will last. All of us already know how to achieve it. We have the peace formula, we have the UN Charter and we have all the strength needed to make it happen. What’s needed is determination.” Zelenskyy recently met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York before Modi concluded his three-day visit to the U.S.
The meeting, requested by the Ukrainian side, was held on the sidelines of Modi’s engagements, including the Quad Leaders’ Summit and his address at the UN’s ‘Summit of the Future.’ This marked the third meeting between Modi and Zelenskyy in just over three months. The two leaders previously convened in Kyiv last month and during a bilateral session at the G7 Summit in Italy in June.
“We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine last month to strengthen bilateral relations. Reiterated India’s support for early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and restoration of peace and stability,” Modi posted on X following the meeting.
Zelenskyy noted that their discussions primarily focused on “enhancing our interaction on international platforms, particularly at the UN and G20, as well as implementing the peace formula and preparing for the second peace summit. We had a substantive discussion on the available opportunities.” He expressed gratitude for India’s “clear support of our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri commented on the discussions about the potential second peace summit, indicating that while various issues were covered, there was not yet sufficient progress to delve into detailed discussions. “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,” he said.
Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the ‘Summit on Peace in Ukraine’ hosted by Switzerland in mid-June. Although the Indian delegation attended both the opening and closing sessions, India did not associate itself with any communique or document resulting from this summit.
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“India’s participation in the summit and preceding NSA/Political Director-level meetings based on Ukraine’s peace formula was in line with our consistent approach to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. We continue to believe that such a resolution requires a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
In this context, India remains committed to engaging with all stakeholders and both parties to contribute to earnest efforts aimed at achieving a swift and enduring peace.
