While the India marked the 157th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Friday, Ukraine and Russia have lauded New Delhi’s efforts in settling the conflict between them that broke out in February 2022.
Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha acknowledged India’s role in mediating peace and said four relevant international proposals remain on table to resolving the conflict. However, India’s proposal seems the most comprehensive, he stated.
“We have four proposals. The most comprehensive is India’s proposal. For the first time, India has signaled its willingness to play a role,” Sybiha was quoted by Ukraine’s RBC-Ukraine news agency as saying.
According to Sybiha, there other proposals are from Türkiye, Egypt and the United States (US). He said Türkiye and Egypt have suggested a grain and agricultural truce in the Black Sea, while the US’ proposal is related to an energy truce.
However, he didn’t provide details on what India’s proposal comprises, even though he stressed that Ukraine is ready for an “unconditional ceasefire along the line of contact”.
Putin hails PM Modi’s ‘good ideas’
Similarly, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has “very good ideas” on a mutual settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Further, Putin said the Indian Prime Minister “brings up these matters at every meeting” and takes a “keen interest in them”.
“As for Prime Minister Modi’s position on ending wars, I can say that he is one of those world leaders who, despite our very good, even friendly relations, including at the personal level, constantly raises the issue and asks questions about ending the conflict in Ukraine,” Putin said, as cited by state-run TASS news agency.
“He has very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions,” Putin added.
PM Modi’s call for peaceful resolution
Time and again, PM Modi has called for resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia via dialogue and diplomacy. In all the meetings he has held with Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he has always stressed on a peaceful resolution.
Even during the bilateral talk that held with Putin on sidelines of the BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi last month, PM Modi offered to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv, with the Kremlin saying that he, along with China’s Xi Jinping “actively offered their good offices to help find a solution”.
“The Prime Minister once again reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward in resolving conflicts and India stood ready to assist in peace efforts,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement following the meeting between PM Modi and Putin back then.
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