India ready to deliver appropriate signal to Russia: Zelenskyy after dialling PM Modi

Tianjin, China: India supports all efforts for peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone conversation on Saturday.

Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Putin on Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Chinese city. The Ukraine conflict is expected to be one of the focus areas of the talks.

Zelenskyy dialled Modi and conveyed his readiness for a meeting with the top leadership of Russia and that the end of the war must begin with an immediate ceasefire.

In a social media post, the Ukrainian president said India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia.

Zelenskyy also briefed Modi on his August 18 meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House that took place three days after Trump held a summit with Putin in Alaska.

"Thank President Zelenskyy for his phone call today. We exchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspect, and efforts to restore peace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction," Modi said on 'X'.

The prime minister landed in Tianjin this evening to attend the two-day SCO summit beginning Sunday.

An Indian readout said Modi reaffirmed India's "steadfast and consistent position" for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict and support for efforts aimed at the earliest restoration of peace.

The prime minister reiterated India’s commitment to extend all possible support in this regard, it said.

In a lengthy post on social media, Zelenskyy said he informed Modi about the talks with President Trump, adding India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders during the meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

"It was a productive and important conversation, a shared vision among partners on how to achieve real peace. Ukraine reaffirmed its readiness for a meeting with the head of Russia," he said.

"Almost two weeks have passed, and during this time, when Russia should have been preparing for diplomacy, Moscow has given no positive signal – only carried out cynical strikes on civilian targets and killed dozens of our people," Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president said he thanked PM Modi for his words of condolences to the families of the victims.

"We coordinated our positions ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The end of this war must begin with an immediate ceasefire, with the necessary silence," he said.

"This position is understood and supported by everyone. It is impossible to speak meaningfully about peace while our cities and communities are under constant fire." "India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders during the meetings on the sidelines of the summit," Zelenskyy added.

India has been consistently calling for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

In July last year, PM Modi travelled to Moscow and told Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets.

The next month, Modi visited the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv and conveyed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the war.

The Ukrainian president said he and Modi also discussed bilateral relations, preparations for two-way visits, and the holding of a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission.

"I will be glad to meet the prime minister in the near future," he said. There have been reports that Zelenskyy may visit India soon.

The Indian readout also said that the two leaders reviewed progress in the India-Ukraine partnership and discussed ways to further enhance it in all areas of mutual interest.