President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his interview for the Times of India expressed hope that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could become an important player in ending the war in Ukraine. Zelensky emphasized that India, having a powerful influence due to its population, economic strength and global authority, is able to make a significant contribution to the settlement of the conflict.
“Modi is the Prime Minister of a really huge country in terms of population, economy, influence. Such a country cannot simply say that we are interested in ending the war – we all are. Prime Minister Modi can influence the end of the war with Ukraine. This is its enormous value in any conflict. This is a huge value of India“, Zelensky noted.
The president also emphasized that blocking the Russian economy, especially in the field of cheap energy resources and the defense-industrial complex, would significantly reduce Moscow’s ability to continue aggression.
Zelensky did not rule out the possibility of holding negotiations through the mediation of India, noting that Modi could become a significant figure in such negotiations.
“No doubt it can happen in India and PM Modi can really do it. But I think we need to prepare and only according to our format because the war is on our soil. We have a platform – the Peace Summit“, the president emphasized.
Separately, Zelensky appealed to Modi to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia.
“You can get Putin to return the Ukrainian children… PM Modi can use his influence and say to Putin, just give me 1000 Ukrainian children to be returned to Ukraine. Let Prime Minister Modi return at least 1,000 Ukrainian children“, he noted.
Earlier, Zelensky also called on India to stop importing Russian oil, which would deal a serious blow to the Russian economy and create additional difficulties for Putin. In September, during a meeting in New York, Zelenskyy discussed the issue of war with Modi, emphasizing the importance of international support.
