Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

As the government essays a possible role for India in peace-making in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukraine’s Government is keen for New Delhi to sign on to the Swiss Peace Summit document, which would entail reversing India’s previous decision in June to disassociate from it. Speaking to The Hindu, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk said that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed a retrospective move by India to join the peace process ahead of plans for a second Peace Summit in October or November this year, and that Ukraine had more “ambition” than for India to play “post office” between the leaders . 

Also read: Negotiating for peace: On the ‘Summit on Peace’, in Burgenstock

“We hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and conversations with President Zelenskyy indicate India’s support for the peace-building effort,” Mr. Polishchuk told The Hindu in Delhi, in his first interview after the visit, where he confirmed that Mr. Zelenskyy “discussed the possibility that India could review its decision at the first peace summit in Switzerland, and associate itself with the Burgenstock joint communique”, retrospectively or for India to formulate its own proposals that support principles like humanitarian access, nuclear safety, etc. 

‘PM Modi can play a larger role’

After the Swiss Peace Summit in June, India had issued a statement disassociating itself from its outcome as it did not involve both Russia and Ukraine at the table. 

“A large democracy like India should not just be a messenger or post office, conveying messages from one country in the conflict to the other— given PM Modi’s ability to speak to all sides, he can play a larger role in guiding the process and even in hosting the peace summit,“ he added.

The Envoy’s comments come as the Modi Government has stepped up its outreach to other countries playing a role in current efforts to end the conflict, after PM Narendra Modi’s visits to Moscow and Kiev in July and August, and upcoming visits to the United States and U.N. in September and Russia in October, where he will meet other world leaders.

In addition, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is on a six-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Germany and Switzerland (September 8-13) where he will also engage other Gulf country Ministers, as well as heads of U.N. organisations, apart from bilateral meetings.

NSA Doval to visit Russia

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will visit Russia this week (September 10-12) for the BRICS NSA meetings where he will meet counterparts from China, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Ethiopia.

The flurry of diplomatic visits come after Mr. Zelenskyy pitched India as a possible mediator along with other “Global South” countries and Mr. Putin said he valued any efforts by India, China and Brazil on the conflict, and that he was “constantly in touch” with all three.

In May 2024, China and Brazil had presented a six-point peace proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and officials have declined to comment on whether India would endorse the proposal or make its own alternative peace proposal. In Kiev on August 23, Mr. Jaishankar had said it was for the “parties concerned to respond” to the China-Brazil proposal, not India.

Mr. Polishchuk said that while one part of the Modi-Zelenskyy talks had focused on peace efforts, they had also discussed bilateral issues at length, and in particular humanitarian projects in which India could support Ukraine during the conflict.

Although the Modi Government has thus far not accepted Ukrainian requests for possibly “dual use” supplies like diggers and construction equipment, as well as telecom towers and hospital infrastructure, Kiev is now hopeful that India will approve MoUs for electricity generators and transformers given the power crisis in Ukraine, as well as de-mining equipment and prosthetics for those who have lost limbs in the war.

In addition, the Ambassador said they would identify “High Impact Community Development Projects” like school and hospital reconstruction, fitted with computers and air-raid shelters, that could be proposed as part of the MoU signed on Humanitarian Grant Assistance with India. 

 “We need to pay more attention to the implementation of the various plans for cooperation that the leaders agreed to” Mr. Polishchuk said, adding that “The ball is now in our court [the Embassy’s] to study which humanitarian projects we could present for India to disburse funds for.”