Ukraine considers India as a potential mediator in peace talks with Russia, Politico reports, citing a source, UNN writes.
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"Ukraine has found its favorite mediator to help end the war with Russia: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the newspaper writes.
As noted, within the framework of "blossoming" diplomatic relations, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Modi on Monday evening in New York, "during which the two leaders and their entourage discussed the path to a peace agreement.
A senior official, who was granted anonymity, confirmed that "India is Kyiv's great hope for reaching a peace agreement that it can live with," the newspaper writes.
According to the official, Modi made it clear in talks with Kyiv over the summer that "while Ukraine will inevitably have to compromise on some issues to end Moscow's onslaught, any proposal to end the war should not include the transfer of territory to Russia.
"In the eyes of Kyiv, Modi has come a long way in a short time," the newspaper writes.
According to the newspaper, since Modi's visit to Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, "Ukraine has increasingly begun to see India as its ideal mediator in relations with the Kremlin.
"India may be the only player in the world that can play this role - or at least the only one that can convincingly present itself as a neutral party to both Moscow and Kyiv. Switzerland and Austria sided with the EU in imposing sanctions on Russia. Relations between Washington and Moscow are in a deep freeze. Attempts by countries such as Saudi Arabia to play the role of peacemaker have failed, while China is accused of actively assisting Moscow's war effort, and Zelenskiy only this month criticized the Brazilian government for "taking Russia's side." That leaves India," the newspaper notes.
During a visit to Germany earlier this month, Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar said India was "concerned and engaged" in trying to find a way to end the war and confirmed that "proposals have been made" for India to host its own peace summit. Any such talks would have to include Russia, he added, rejecting the idea of a Swiss-style peace conference that would not include the Kremlin.
"In Berlin this month, Jaishankar did not say whether India plans to put forward its own peace proposal. But Kyiv has high hopes that New Delhi will become more active in the future," the newspaper writes.
"I can say that India is a reliable partner for Ukraine, and it is a global power that can influence the dynamics and course of events in the world," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi told Politico. - "And we want to see India's participation in the peace formula process, because India can change the situation.