There can be no military solution to the conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a telephonic conversation on Tuesday. The Prime Minister discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, according to an official statement.
“He expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts. Prime Minister also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” it further said.
Prime Minister underlined the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations including those in Ukraine and said endangerment to such facilities could have “far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment.”
The two leaders also touched upon important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021, it said.
According to an official release by the Ukrainian government, Zelenskyy denounced Russia’s “illegal” annexation of Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, including the area around the nuclear plant as “null and void” and said Ukraine will not conduct any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Ukraine has always been committed to a peaceful settlement through dialogue,” it said.
“During my speech at the session of the UN General Assembly, I outlined our clear formula for peace. We are ready to work together with our partners to achieve it,” Zelenskyy added.
Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other for shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. While Ukrainian staff continue to operate the plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency says the conditions put safety at risk. The IAEA has called for the establishment of a protection zone around the site to reduce the risk of a potentially catastrophic accident.
In a response to Modi’s comments regarding nuclear installation, the Ukrainian president said, “Nuclear blackmail by Russia, in particular regarding the Zaporizhzhia NPP, is a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the whole world.”
‘Today’s Era is Not of War’
PM Modi’s conversation with Zalensky comes a couple of weeks after the former had pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine soon, saying “today’s era is not of war”.
“I know today’s era is not of war. We discussed this issue with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world. We will have the opportunity to talk today about how we can move forward on the road of peace in the coming days,” Modi had said during a bilateral meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last month. PM Modi had also underlined the importance of “democracy, dialogue and diplomacy” while calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy thanked Modi for India’s support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also emphasized the importance of the Prime Minister’s recent statement that now is not the time for war. He also noted the significant humanitarian aid provided by the Indian government and the country’s private sector to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president also renewed the invitation to the Prime Minister of the Republic of India to visit Ukraine.
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