(China) INDIA supports all efforts for peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone conversation on Saturday. Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Putin on Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Chinese city. The Ukraine conflict is expected to be one of the focus areas of the talks. Zelenskyy dialled Modi and conveyed his readiness for a meeting with the top leadership of Russia and that the end of the war must begin with an immediate ceasefire. In a social media post, the Ukrainian President said India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia.

 

Zelenskyy also briefedModi on his August 18meeting with USPresident DonaldTrump in the WhiteHouse that took placethree days after Trumpheld a summit withPutin in Alaska. “Thank President Zelenskyyfor his phone call today. Weexchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarianaspect, and efforts to restorepeace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction,” Modi said on ‘X’. The PM landed in Tianjin this evening to attend the two-day SCO summit beginning Sunday.

 

An Indian readout said Modi reaffirmed India’s “steadfast and consistent position” for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict and support for efforts aimed at the earliest restoration of peace. The Prime Minister reiterated India’s commitment to extend all possible support in this regard, it said. In a lengthy post on social media, Zelenskyy said he informed Modi about the talks with President Trump, adding India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders during the meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit. “It was a productive and important conversation, a shared vision among partners on how to achieve real peace. Ukraine reaffirmed its readiness for a meeting with the head of Russia,” he said.

 

“Almost two weeks have passed, and during this time, when Russia should have been preparing for diplomacy, Moscow has given no positive signal – only carried out cynical strikes on civilian targets and killed dozens of our people,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian President said he thanked PM Modi for his words of condolences to the families of the victims. “We coordinated our positions ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The end of this war must begin with an immediate ceasefire, with the necessary silence,” he said.