Ukraine FM says will focus on ‘Peace Formula’ during ongoing India visit

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who arrived in India on Thursday, expressed his intention to strengthen bilateral ties and continue the dialogue between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I began my visit to New Delhi upon @DrSJaishankar’s invitation. The Ukrainian-Indian cooperation is important and we will be reinvigorating ties. Building on the dialogue between @ZelenskyyUa and @NarendraModi, we will pay specific attention to the Peace Formula,” Kuleba said in a post.

During his visit, Kuleba will discuss bilateral ties and cooperation on regional and global issues of mutual interest. His official engagements include meetings with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri.

Kuleba is also expected to interact with the business community in India.

The visit follows a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on March 20, where they discussed strengthening the India-Ukraine partnership. Modi reiterated India’s people-centric approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward. Zelenskyy appreciated India’s humanitarian assistance and support for Kyiv’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Zelenskyy has called for an international peace summit, with Switzerland offering to host the meeting. Last year, Zelenskyy presented Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula at the G20 Summit, which includes provisions for nuclear safety, food security, and a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes.

In a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 20, Modi reiterated India’s position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The two leaders also discussed strengthening bilateral ties.

Modi and Zelenskyy held in-person talks in May 2023 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.