Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed India as a potential host for the second Ukraine peace summit, highlighting it as one of the few Global South countries suitable for this role. On Friday, Zelenskyy shared this proposal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The first Ukraine peace summit took place in June at a resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. It attracted over 90 countries and global institutions, all focused on achieving peace in Ukraine. During a media briefing, Zelenskyy revealed that he suggested India as a possible venue for the next summit.
“I truly believe the second Peace Summit should happen, and it would be beneficial if it could be held in one of the Global South countries,” Zelenskyy stated. He mentioned that discussions were ongoing with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, and Switzerland about hosting the summit.
“I told Prime Minister Modi that India, being a large and great democracy, could host the Global Peace Summit,” Zelenskyy added. However, he noted that hosting the summit in a country that did not endorse the communique from the first summit would be challenging. India had attended the inaugural summit but did not align itself with the communique that emerged from it.
India has maintained its stance on remaining engaged with all parties to support a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. The first summit ended with a commitment from many countries to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and encourage dialogue among all involved parties to resolve the conflict.
During his visit, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need for Ukraine and Russia to engage directly to resolve the ongoing war. Modi offered India’s readiness to play an “active role” in restoring peace in the region. His visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister since the country’s independence in 1991, came shortly after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This summit had sparked concern among some Western nations.
“I have come with a message of peace. I want to assure you and the entire global community that India is committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. This is of utmost importance to us,” Modi told Zelenskyy during their talks.
Modi reiterated India’s strong commitment to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Zelenskyy acknowledged India’s support for Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing that it is vital for global respect for the UN Charter.