SINGAPORE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has asked for India’s help with enforcing a “peace formula” in a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The conversation came amid Indian efforts to boost trade ties with Moscow after Western nations unveiled new measures to curtail Russian efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war. “I had a phone call with PM Narendra Modi and wished for a successful G20 presidency,” Zelensky posted on Twitter. “It was on this platform that I announced the peace formula and now I count on India’s participation in its implementation.”
Zelensky urged the Group of 20 (G20) major economies last month to apply Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula to end the war, and India holds the G20 presidency for a year.
Zelensky said at the G20 meeting that Ukraine would not permit Russian forces to regroup after their withdrawal from Kherson, and pledged that there would be more fighting until Ukraine regains hold of all of its occupied territory. “I am convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped,” he said via video link to the summit on the island of Bali, based on a copy of his speech reviewed by Reuters. “Please choose your path for leadership — and together we will surely implement the peace formula,” he said.
Moreover, Zelensky asked Russia to withdraw all its forces from Ukraine and reaffirm Ukraine’s territorial integrity, while stating that Kyiv would not undermine its sovereignty, territory, or independence. He also called for the release of all Ukrainian prisoners.
America expects the G-20 to rebuke Russia’s war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy, a senior U.S. official said, while declining to specify what form the condemnation would take and adding that, as Russia is a member of the group, consensus on Ukraine would be tough.
Indeed, Moscow’s refusal to portray its actions in Ukraine as a war remained a huge obstacle in terms of obtaining a communique from the G-20 summit. Russia and the U.S. failed to concur on language for a joint statement after a separate multilateral summit in Cambodia, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lambasting the United States and its allies for insisting “on absolutely unacceptable language regarding the situation in Ukraine.”
With reference to Zelensky’s talk with Modi, the Indian government said in a statement that both leaders discussed opportunities for boosting cooperation. “The prime minister explained the main priorities of India’s G20 presidency, including giving a voice to the concerns of developing nations on issues like food and energy security.” Modi also “strongly reiterated” his call for an immediate cessation of fighting in Ukraine and voiced India’s support for any peace efforts.
India, which has not directly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has become the largest buyer of Russian oil following China. Although Western sanctions have affected Russia’s biggest exports — fuel and energy products — India bought barrels of crude oil at significantly below the $60 price cap agreed by Western nations.
Justifying India’s move to buy oil from Russia, India’s foreign minister said that a country with huge energy demands and where income levels are not high must take care of its own interests, and deemed Russia “a steady and time-tested partner.”
According to a previous Reuters report, Moscow had sent India a list of over 500 products it requires — including parts for cars, aircraft, and trains — as sanctions limit Russia’s ability to operate vital industries.
In exchange, India sent the Kremlin a list of Indian products that need access to the Russian market, according to the foreign minister. New Delhi is seeking to balance bilateral trade, which is now tilted towards Russia.
Earlier this year, Zelensky said that Kyiv would boost diplomatic efforts in Africa, Latin America, and Asia to take advantage of the “colossal economic potential” and other international benefits.
In previous remarks Zelensky had indicated his attempts to expand ties with Africa, where Ukraine has been trying to gather countries to its cause by advocating for a humanitarian grain initiative to tackle famine in at-risk countries. “We are overhauling relations with dozens of African countries,” Zelensky said. “Next year we need to strengthen this.” However, the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has varied as some countries, such as South Africa, have close trade and security relations with Russia they do not want to jeopardize.
In his nightly video address, Zelensky said diplomats would focus on countries where Ukraine has lesser influence, particularly in the Global South. “There is colossal economic potential and considerable diplomatic avenues,” he said. He pointed out votes in favor of Ukraine from developing countries at the United Nations General Assembly.
Ukraine also hopes to enhance relations with its traditional partners “to make next year the decisive one in this war so that Ukraine attains its goals.”
Zelensky said the country also hopes to establish trade representative offices in various hubs on the continent. He did not provide further details on where those new embassies or trade offices would be situated, but mentioned that he would like Ukraine to ultimately be represented in 30 countries on the continent.
U.S. President Joe Biden recently voiced support for Zelensky at the White House to encourage Americans and the world to keep supporting Kyiv in 2023.
On the other hand, Moscow said it is conducting a “special military operation” in Ukraine to remove nationalists and safeguard Russian-speaking communities, and has made it a criminal offense at home to describe its activities in Ukraine as a “war.”
