Zelenskyy seeks 'highest level' participation from India at peace summit in Switzerland; invites Modi to Ukraine

London: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland concerning the Russia-Ukrainian war and hoped for India's participation at the 'highest level' at the conference.

Zelenskyy also invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Ukraine at a convenient time.

"I spoke with Prime Minister of India @NarendraModi to congratulate him on his election victory. I wished him a speedy formation of the government and continued productive work for the benefit of the Indian people," the Ukrainian president said in a post on X.

"We discussed the upcoming Global Peace Summit. We rely on India's participation at the highest level. I also invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Ukraine at a convenient time," he said.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his party-led coalition's third consecutive victory in the parliamentary elections and said he was looking forward to India's presence at the peace summit in Switzerland next week.

"Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi, the BJP, and BJP-led NDA on the third consecutive victory in India's parliamentary elections. I wish the people of India peace and prosperity, and I hope for continued cooperation between our countries. India and Ukraine share common values and a rich history. May our partnership continue to thrive, bringing progress and mutual understanding for our nations," he said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Asserting that everyone in the world recognises the significance and weight of India's role in global affairs, he said, "it is critical that we all work together to ensure a just peace for all nations. In this regard, we also look forward to seeing India attend the Peace Summit."

An international peace summit concerning the Russia-Ukrainian war is planned to be held in Burgenstock Resort in Switzerland on June 15-16. Switzerland has extended invitations to over 160 countries for the summit.

Last month, Swiss State Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alexandre Fasel held wide-ranging talks with his Indian interlocutors and extended an invitation to the Indian prime minister to participate at the summit that is aimed at charting a course for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Fasel also referred to India's close relations with Russia as well as Ukraine and hoped that New Delhi would play a role in helping the summit chart a roadmap for bringing peace to Ukraine.

When asked whether India will attend the summit, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in New Delhi recently said," We have received an invitation from the Swiss side. We are yet to decide on our participation."

India has been pressing for resolving the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

At a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022, in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Modi said, 'Today's era is not of war' and nudged the Russian leader to end the Ukraine conflict.

Modi's message was hailed by various global leaders.