India Ready to Make Active Contribution for Peace in Ukraine - Modi

"Today is an important day in the history of Ukrainian-Indian relations. This is the first visit of the Prime Minister of India to Ukraine. This event in itself is very important. Tomorrow is your national day. This is an important moment. On behalf of 1.4 billion people of India, I convey to you the best wishes and hope for peace and prosperity in Ukraine," he noted.

According to Modi, India played a dual role in the context of the war. The first was humanitarian assistance and the second was to "stay away from the war."

"We have refrained from war with all confidence, but that never meant that we were indifferent observers. We never assumed such a role. We were never neutral. And from the very beginning, we had our own side. Our side was peace," Modi told the gathering.

The Prime Minister stressed that India adheres to the principle of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"Two years ago in Samarkand, when I met President Putin, I looked him in the eye in front of the press and said that this is not an era of war. And last month, during my visit to Russia, I made it clear that problems are not solved on the battlefield. The only way to solve problems is through dialogue and diplomacy. And without losing a single moment, we must move in this direction.

Modi assured Zelenskyy that "India is ready to make its proactive contribution and I personally, as a friend, if there is any action that I can take, I would be happy to play that role to achieve peace."

"Mr President, I have come on the eve of your Independence Day. Therefore, I wish that we all work towards the speedy restoration of peace and India will be ready to make its proactive contribution towards achieving this goal," the Indian Prime Minister added.