Zelensky proposes India summit to push Ukraine peace plan, Modi says no deal without Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed holding a summit in India aimed at ending the war with Russia, according to people familiar with the matter.

Zelensky aims to hold a second leaders meeting before the US presidential election in November as a follow-up to a summit in June, which sought to win support from nations of the Global South for Kyiv in its 2 1/2 year war with Russia.

A gathering in India, which has been wary of the Ukrainian initiative because it so far excludes Russia, would be viewed as progress in Kyiv. Modi, who during his August 23 visit signalled his backing for Ukrainian sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders, has yet to agree to host a meeting, the people said.

India’s prime minister has signalled his willingness to play a “constructive role” in a peace process, though it’s “too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways at this stage,” Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in response to a query.

The diplomatic effort has taken on new urgency as Russian forces gain ground in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and Ukraine’s military made a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region this month. With both sides on the offensive, a diplomatic resolution to the full-blown conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022 remains a distant prospect.

A Zelensky spokesman, Serhiy Nykyforov, said Ukraine is weighing holding the follow-up summit in a country of the Global South, including India “in particular”.

Zelensky seeks to win broader global support for his 10-point peace blueprint, including a demand to withdraw all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, and isolate Russia before beginning direct talks. But nations