Significantly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted at India's name as a possible host for the second Ukraine peace summit and communicated the same to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
The first peace summit was held in June at a resort sitting near Lucerne, Switzerland, in which more than 90 nations and global institutions came together to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine issue.
He is saying so while disclosing that he has thrown open India as one of the prospective locations for the Peace Summit, which is said to be round the corner.
"I feel very strongly about the necessity of the second Peace Summit. That would benefit if it takes place in one of the countries of the Global South," he said.
"We are keeping our ears very open to it. Yes, the countries being discussed as hosts include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye and Switzerland," Zelenskyy added.
" I told Prime Minister Modi that India can organise the Global Peace Summit. After all, it is an immense and lively democracy—the largest one,"
But Zelenskyy hastened to add that the summit could not be held in a country which did not accept the communique of the first summit.
India attended the first summit but did not accept the communique of the deliberations.
New Delhi has reiterated that it will engage with all stakeholders for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
The first summit concluded with widespread, far-reaching support from a number of countries for Ukraine's "territorial integrity" and called for a dialogue among all parties for a durable solution.
Modi on Friday impressed upon Zelenskyy that direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would be so crucial in ensuring an end to the conflict at the earliest possible time, mentioning that India was ready to "play an active role" in returning regional peace.
Modi's trip to Ukraine lasted nearly nine hours, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since the nation's independence in 1991—a visit that followed a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin End of —a trek some Western countries had objected to.
"I come with a message of peace.I want to assure you and the global community that India is dedicated to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, which is of prime importance for us," Modi assured Zelenskyy during their discussions.
Further reiterating the Indian stand on the ground, the Prime Minister said, "We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.".
Zelenskyy also accepted the assurance of India's support for Ukraine's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying, "And this is critical because the principles of the UN Charter must be universal.
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