This was the third meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Zelenskyy in recent months
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed India’s readiness to assist in efforts aimed at securing a lasting and peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on Monday (September 23, 2024), Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's consistent approach in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue. 

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit of the Future on the final day of Prime Minister Modi’s three-day visit to the US. 

“Met President @ZelenskyyUa in New York. We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine last month to strengthen bilateral relations. Reiterated India’s support for early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and restoration of peace and stability,” Prime Minister Modi wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

The two leaders recalled the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Ukraine and expressed satisfaction at the continued consolidation of bilateral ties. The situation in Ukraine as well as the way forward on pursuing a path to peace also figured prominently in their discussions, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said after the talks.

According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s “clear, consistent and constructive approach” in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue as well as engagement between all stakeholders. “He conveyed that India remains open to provide all support within its means to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the MEA said. 

Highlighting the significance of the interaction, the MEA said this was the third meeting between the two leaders in little over three months. The two leaders have agreed to remain in close touch, the MEA added. 

The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Zelenskyy came exactly a month after the two met in Ukrainian capital Kyiv on August 23, 2024. Prime Minister Modi was the first Indian PM to visit Ukraine since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. A peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine was best for humanity, Prime Minister Modi said after their talks.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Kyiv came amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict which began in February 2022 and took place about six weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 8-9, 2024. He had earlier met President Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy on June 14, 2024.

In addition to the meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy in June this year, Prime Minister Modi and President Zelenskyy also met in Hiroshima, Japan on the margins of the 2023 G7 Summit and in Glasgow, Scotland on the sidelines of the COP in 2021.

PM Modi Meets Vietnam's State President and Party General Secretary
While in New York, Prime Minister Modi also met To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and State President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Summit of the Future at UNGA on Monxay (23 September 2024).

According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi congratulated President To Lam on assuming enhanced leadership responsibilities and expressed hope for continued collaboration towards strengthening bilateral ties between India and Vietnam.

During their talks, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of deep civilizational and cultural links and growing strategic ties, marked by unwavering mutual trust, understanding and shared interests between the two countries. Recalling the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to India last month, they discussed prospects of advancing bilateral cooperation and further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. 

The leaders also exchanged views on important regional and global issues, including the Indo-Pacific and underscored a collective role for Global South at international platforms.

Prime Minister Modi used the opportunity to reiterate his sympathies and solidarity with Vietnam in the face of loss and damage caused by Typhoon Yagi earlier this month. President and General Secretary To Lam thanked Prime Minister Modi for the timely supply of emergency humanitarian assistance and disaster relief by India under Operation Sadbhav, the MEA stated.