Press Service of the President of Ukraine/Handout/Portal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023.
CNN –
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan, the first face-to-face meeting between the two since the Russian invasion began.
Modi – who has so far refused to condemn the invasion – said India will “do everything we can” to help end the war.
“The war in Ukraine is a big problem for the whole world,” he said. “It also had a lot of repercussions around the world. But I don’t think it’s just an economic or political issue. For me it is a question of humanity.”
For his part, Zelensky invited Modi to join Ukraine’s peace efforts to end the war against Russia.
Zelensky’s personal presence at the G7 summit – which was not confirmed by host country Japan as of Saturday morning – gives the war leader an opportunity to meet with member states that are already fully supporting Ukraine – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – urging them for more military aid.
But it also offers Zelenksy a chance to seek support for Ukraine and its vision of peace, along with leaders from a handful of other nations also attending the summit – some of whom have not aligned with the West on sanctions imposed on Russia or other countries like India have refused to condemn Russia at the United Nations.
India has historically been a major buyer of Russian arms and has longstanding ties with Moscow. It has also increased purchases of Russian energy — which is an important economic lifeline for President Vladimir Putin’s government, even if the West largely controls this important source of income.
Despite sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine throughout the war, New Delhi has abstained from UN resolutions calling for Ukraine’s withdrawal and condemning the invasion.
The support or understanding of leaders like Modi could be a key reason behind Zelenskyy’s attendance at the G7 summit, analysts say. Other participating nations are Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, Korea and Vietnam.
In Modi’s case, close ties with Russia could have the potential to both pressure Putin and keep his economy afloat.
Last year, during a face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan in September, Modi spoke to Putin about the need to “start the path of peace,” according to a report by the Indian Page – Ward newspaper then taken as a sign of impatience from New Delhi as the conflict dragged on.
But months later, the Indian leader showed himself determined to tread a cautious line, neither explicitly condemning the Kremlin nor calling for its withdrawal from Russian territory.
Modi has spoken to Zelenskyy several times since the Russian invasion, most recently in December, when the Indian leader reiterated his calls for a “cessation of hostilities” and “dialogue” to resolve the conflict.
Zelenskyy’s peace plan, on the other hand, provides for the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Western leaders have criticized calls for a ceasefire that did not include a withdrawal of Russian troops, saying they amounted to helping Moscow consolidate territory it had annexed.
Zelenskyy also attended the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday, where he called for sympathy from Saudi Arabian leaders who are “turning a blind eye to the war in Ukraine.”
At the G7 summit, Zelenskyy is scheduled to sit with leaders of G7 member countries Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States and take part in a larger session on peace and stability, which will also include other invitees become nations, Japan said on Saturday.