Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday (September 7) that she believes India can play a role in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“China and India have a role to play in resolving this conflict. The only thing that cannot happen is to believe the conflict can be solved by abandoning Ukraine,” Meloni said after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the annual conference of The European House – Ambrosetti (TEHA).

Italy has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing weapons to help Kyiv defend itself against Russian forces, with the stipulation that these arms be used solely on Ukrainian territory.

Putin’s take on India as a mediator

Meloni’s remarks follow similar comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested that China, India, and Brazil could act as mediators in potential peace talks over Ukraine.

“We respect our friends and partners, who I believe are sincerely seeking to resolve this conflict, particularly China, Brazil, and India. I am in constant communication with them on this issue,” Putin said, according to Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS.

Putin also referred to a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators during talks in Istanbul in the early weeks of the war, which was never implemented. That proposal could serve as a foundation for future discussions, he said.

In 2022, early in the conflict, Russia and Ukraine held multiple rounds of talks to explore a peace deal. However, disagreements over territorial control, Ukraine’s national identity, and security guarantees prevented the agreement from being finalized.

India’s ‘formal neutrality’

So far in the Russia-Ukraine war, India’s interests have led to New Delhi maintaining a position of formal neutrality.

The country has been abstaining from key votes at the UN Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council that condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

New Delhi has also refrained from openly criticising Moscow and Putin as the aggressor in the crisis.

With inputs from agencies

Link to article – 

India has a role in resolving Ukraine war, Italian PM Meloni says after meeting with Zelenskyy