Zelenskyy proposes India for Ukraine Peace Summit

In a notable development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed on August 23 that India be considered as a potential host for the second Ukraine peace summit and shared this suggestion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The first peace summit took place in June at a resort near Lucerne, Switzerland, and saw participation from over 90 countries and global institutions, all focused on achieving peace in Ukraine.

During a media briefing, Zelenskyy mentioned that he had discussed with Prime Minister Modi the possibility of holding the next peace summit in India.

"I firmly believe that the second Peace Summit should indeed occur, and it would be advantageous if it were hosted by one of the Global South countries," Zelenskyy stated, Caliber.Az reports citing his quotes from foreign media.

He added, "We are very open to this idea. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, and Switzerland are currently in discussions about hosting the summit."

Zelenskyy highlighted that he suggested India as a potential venue, noting, "India is a large country and a great democracy — the largest one."

However, he also noted that hosting the summit in a country that did not sign the communique from the first summit would be problematic. While India participated in the initial summit, it did not endorse the communique that emerged from it.

India has pledged to continue engaging with all parties to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and the first summit ended with many nations expressing support for Ukraine’s "territorial integrity" and advocating for dialogue among all involved parties.

Prime Minister Modi, during his recent visit to Ukraine — the first by an Indian prime minister since Ukraine's independence in 1991 — emphasized the need for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the conflict promptly. Modi also offered India's readiness to play an "active role" in restoring peace to the region.

In his discussions with Zelenskyy, Modi reiterated India’s commitment to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, stating, "I want to assure you and the global community that India is dedicated to upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are of utmost importance to us."

Zelenskyy acknowledged India’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as crucial, emphasizing the global need to respect the UN Charter equally.