Ukraine envoy urges greater Indian role in peace talks with Russia, hails PM Modi's stance on conflict

New Delhi [India], August 23 (ANI): Ukraine's Ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, on Saturday called for a more active role from India in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasising that Kyiv sees New Delhi as a key player in potential peace negotiations due to its longstanding ties with Moscow.
Speaking to ANI on the occasion of their National Flag Day, Ambassador Polishchuk welcomed the growing dialogue between Ukraine and India since 2023 and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks, asserting that India is "not neutral" in the war but firmly supports peace, diplomacy, and political dialogue.
He noted that the Ukrainian side hopes to continue this interaction at the upcoming UNGA session in September.
"We expect more Indian involvement in the peace-building process in Ukraine. I suspected that all of the meetings which we actually had, and which we actually expected to have in the future, would be part of the discussion on how India can be involved directly or indirectly, but definitely in the political negotiation with the Russians, taking into account the long time between Russia and India relationship," he said.
"I'm very grateful that since 2023, we have had the very intense dialogue between two countries and Prime Minister Modi and my president met a lot of times on the side of the different conferences at the UN General Assembly. And I know that we have the plan to continue this interaction between two leaders," the envoy added.
He also commended PM Modi's clear stance on the war, referring to his statement that India is "not neutral," but stands for peace and dialogue.
"We are very much grateful that India, from the first day of the Russian invasion, clearly actually indicated the position of India. And if you remember, just recently, the Prime Minister said very openly that India is not neutral. India supports the peace and dialogue and discussion and political interaction between all of our partners and with the Russian Federation, with the aim to achieve peace in Ukraine," he stated.
Earlier in February, Prime Minister Modi reiterated that India's stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not neutral, but rather it is on the side of peace, while welcoming the efforts made by US President Donald Trump towards resolving the conflict.
"I have always been in close contact with Russia and Ukraine. I have met the leaders of both countries. Many people are in a misconception that India is neutral, but I want to reiterate that India is not neutral; we are on a side, and that is peace," PM Modi said in a joint presser.
On Thursday, PM Modi had a telephonic conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron and exchanged views on efforts for the peaceful resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and in West Asia.
When asked about the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Polishchuk said Ukraine remains committed to negotiations - but only with support from its Western allies and contingent on Russia's willingness.
"The United States is one of our biggest supporters, and we expect that with the help of our American colleagues, we will actually achieve this goal of having a negotiation with Russia. It will depend on the Russian will. My President actually clearly sent the message to everybody after the Alaska meeting that we are ready for that," he stated. (ANI)