India to ‘pass messages’ between Ukraine and Russia – Bloomberg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly declined to serve as a mediator, however

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is willing to relay communications between Kiev and Moscow, but will not try to mediate an end to the conflict, Bloomberg has reported citing sources familiar with the matter.

Modi is expected to visit Ukraine later this week, the first Indian prime minister to do so since Kiev declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. He traveled to Moscow last month, on his first state visit since winning re-election in June. 

India has called for dialogue and diplomacy ever since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Unlike fellow BRICS members Brazil and China, however, it has not put forth a peace plan. Modi has reportedly ruled out a role of mediator in the conflict.

According to the outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda, Modi will only spend “a few hours” in Kiev, for security reasons.

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Why Modi is heading to Kiev so soon after hugging Putin

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky believes Modi and India are the key to Ukraine’s efforts to win over the Global South, Bloomberg reported. India was among the countries that attended Zelensky’s peace conference in June – to which Russia was not invited – at a Swiss resort near Lucerne, but did not sign the final declaration.

During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lasted several hours, Modi argued that the Ukraine conflict cannot be solved on the battlefield. He later said that “very interesting ideas” and “completely new views” emerged from their talks, and that “after listening to President Putin, I have hope.”

The Indian leader also discussed the growing volume of trade with Russia, as well as the possible construction of another nuclear power plant.