PM Modi meets Zelenskyy; reaffirms India's support for peace in Ukraine

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reiterated India's commitment for an early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and the restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Modi, who is in New York on the last leg of his three-day visit to the US, met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN's landmark Summit of the Future on Monday.

This was the third meeting between the two leaders in about three months. They last met in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv on August 23 during the prime minister's visit to the country. In June, Modi held talks with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia.

"Met President @ZelenskyyUa in New York. We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine last month to strengthen bilateral relations. Reiterated India's support for early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and restoration of peace and stability," Modi said in a post on X.

Modi reiterated "India's clear, consistent and constructive approach in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue as well as engagement between all stakeholders," according to the press release.

The prime minister also conveyed that India remains open to providing "all support within its means to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict".

"We are actively developing our relations and working together to strengthen cooperation across various fields. The main focus of our conversation was on enhancing our interaction on international platforms, particularly at the UN and G20, as well as implementing the Peace Formula and preparing for the second Peace Summit. We had a substantive discussion on the available opportunities," Zelenskyy said on X.

 "I am grateful for the clear support of our sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

During the meeting, Zelenskyy appreciated India's attention to the conflict in Ukraine and thanked the prime minister for his efforts in finding a way out of it, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a special briefing here.

"PM @narendramodi held talks with President @ZelenskyyUa of Ukraine in New York. The leaders took stock of the bilateral ties between both countries. The PM reaffirmed India's commitment to promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict, emphasising the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward," the Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X.

The meeting "gave an opportunity to take stock again of the recent developments," Misri said, adding that both sides also appreciated the positive momentum on a lot of issues in the bilateral relationship and agreed to stay in close touch.

Responding to a question, Misri also said the meeting was requested by the Ukrainian side.

"PM @narendramodi met President @ZelenskyyUa of Ukraine, today on the sidelines of UNGA in New York. The leaders exchanged views on bilateral ties. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine. PM reiterated India's willingness to play a constructive role in the quest for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," the official account of the MEA said in a post on X.

Modi's visit last month was the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister since it became independent over three decades back.

Earlier, Modi addressed the UN's landmark Summit of the Future held against the backdrop of raging global conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine crisis. 

He arrived in New York on Saturday after attending the Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, where he also had bilateral discussions with US President Joe Biden.