Ukraine ready to consider India’s peace proposal
Ukraine has described India’s proposal for a possible ceasefire with Russia as the “broadest” among four offers received by Kyiv, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying it is ready to consider a truce covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.
“We have four proposals. The broadest one is India’s proposal. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in this combination,” Sybiha told reporters in Kyiv on Friday, according to the European Pravda newspaper. The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, has killed thousands of civilians, displaced millions and caused widespread destruction of homes and critical infrastructure.
The comments came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “very good ideas” for finding a mutually acceptable settlement to the Ukraine conflict.
Sybiha said the proposals for a possible ceasefire had come from India, Turkiye, Egypt and the United States.
He said Kyiv was ready to consider different formats for a truce, but any agreement should cover not only combat operations but also attacks on energy and port infrastructure and the situation in the Black Sea.
Putin on Thursday said Modi, despite their close ties, “constantly raises the issue” of ending the conflict and brings it up at “every meeting” between the two leaders. “He has very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions,” Putin said at the annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, according to State-run TASS news agency. Ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi last month, Putin and Modi held talks during which the Russian leader briefed the Prime Minister on the Ukraine conflict and ongoing peace initiatives.
A few days earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would welcome peace efforts by India to resolve the Ukraine conflict and that Moscow’s position was aligned with New Delhi’s emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy.
Ukraine’s latest proposal comes amid intensified Russian aerial attacks on the country. Sybiha said Ukraine agrees to a ceasefire on the condition that it covers not only combat operations, but also attacks on energy and port infrastructure, as well as the situation in the Black Sea. The Black Sea is currently one of the world’s most dangerous commercial shipping zones due to the intensive escalation of missile and drone strikes by both Russia and Ukraine targeting ports, infrastructure, and merchant vessels.
Sybiha has repeated Ukraine’s call for an unconditional ceasefire along the front line. Moscow has rejected such a ceasefire, saying a comprehensive peace agreement should be reached instead. The war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has continued despite repeated diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
