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Modi speaks to Ukraine President Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Narendra Modi

The PM’s virtual call for a stop to the conflict comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin had called for talks with the Ukrainian side…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.

PM Modi expressed his firm conviction that there could be no military solution to the conflict and reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The PM’s virtual call for a stop to the conflict comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin had called for talks with the Ukrainian side.

The Prime Minister spoke to Zelenskyy a fortnight after he had told the Russian President that “now is not the time for war” as high prices of food, fertiliser and fuel had emerged as the major concerns of the world.

Besides speaking against a military solution and offering Indian mediation in peace efforts, PM Modi in his conversation with the Ukrainian President emphasised the importance India attached to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine. He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and environment.

The two leaders had last met at Glasgow in November 2021. Last week, India had maintained a balance while abstaining from a UNSC vote seeking to condemn Russia. India said it was “deeply disturbed” by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine and called for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. At the same time, it did not subscribe to the West’s attempt to bring Russia before the International Criminal Court. India has sent Ukraine several tranches of humanitarian aid while at the same time providing vital outlet for Russian commodities such as oil and coal that have been sanctioned by the West.

PM Modi’s virtual call for a stop to the conflict comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin had called for talks with Ukraine. PM’s offer to Zelenskyy comes a fortnight after he told Putin “now is not the time for war”.

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Zelenskyy no to Johnson’s sanctuary offer

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, “who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.”…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he had offered Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family refuge in the United Kingdom amid Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

Johnson told the Sunday Times that Zelenskyy has regular conversations with him and is an “absolutely charming guy but he’s also proved to be an inspiration.”

According to the British prime minister, the possibility of Zelenskyy and his family getting refuge in the UK had been discussed, but “Volodymyr has always been clear, his duty is to the Ukrainian people; he’s going to stay there, he’s going to look after them. I have to say I admire him.”

In the early hours of February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kyiv forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted – the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, “who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.”

In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.

‘Failure of talks with Putin would mean a World War III’

As Moscow has continued its invasion of Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he is ready for negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but warned that if the talks fail, it “would mean that this is a World War III”.

“I’m ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations we cannot end this war,” Zelensky said while speaking to CNN.

“I think that we have to use any format, any chance in order to have a possibility of negotiating, possibility of talking to Putin. But if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a World War III,” he added.

As the invasion was nearing a month, the President told CNN that “we have always insisted on negotiations. We have always offered dialogue, offered solutions for peace”.

“And I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. It’s time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine.”

Zelensky also listed his priorities for the talks, which are; “the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection for our country”.

The Ukrainian leader further said that if his country was a NATO member, there would have been no war.

“I’d like to receive security guarantees for my country, for my people. If NATO members are ready to see us in the alliance, then do it immediately. Because people are dying on a daily basis,” Zelensky said, while adding that he was grateful for the aid NATO has provided since the invasion began on February 24. When asked about how he was faring since the last 26 days of war, the President said he was “doing just everything that everyone else in Ukraine is doing”.

“We have made up our team to defend our country, so it seems to me that the person does not need to turn into anyone else. That is important when you can be just yourself,” he told CNN. “So I am holding up quite well.”

Zelensky also admitted that his weakest point was losing people and children in these “huge numbers”.

“I go to sleep with this information about children who were killed and we are continuing to pray in order to prevent new losses of people, but so far we haven’t attained these results,” he said, adding that “we are trying to defend our sovereignty, defend our country.”

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Zelenskyy urges NATO to impose no-fly zone over Ukraine

The Ukrainian President also said that he had warned NATO that without preventive sanctions, Russia would begin a war and that Moscow would use Nord Stream 2 as a weapon…reports Asian Lite News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday urged North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to impose a no-fly zone over his country or see its member states attacked by Russia.

In his virtual address on Monday, Zelenskyy said: “I reiterate that if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, on NATO territory, on the homes of NATO citizens.”

He spoke a day after thirty-five people were killed and more than 130 injured when Russian troops launched airstrikes on a military training ground, near the border with NATO member Poland.

The Ukrainian President also said that he had warned NATO that without preventive sanctions, Russia would begin a war and that Moscow would use Nord Stream 2 as a weapon.

“I had warned NATO that without preventive sanctions, Russia would begin a war & that Moscow would use Nord Stream 2 as a weapon,” he said.

Earlier Russia claimed that it killed 180 “foreign mercenaries” in a missile strike on Yavoriv military training ground in western Ukraine, according to a media report. Kyiv, however, denied the report terming it “pure Russian propaganda”.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that in a discussion with European Council President Charles Michel, special attention was given to the further negotiation process on Ukraine’s EU membership.

“Regular international talks. With President of the Council @eucopresident, we discussed the issue of increasing financial support for and sanctions pressure on the aggressor. Special attention was paid to the further negotiation process on Ukraine’s EU membership,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

He spoke with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Petr Fiala Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and spoke about Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression.

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