In constant touch with India over Ukraine conflict: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday named India among the three countries he was constantly in touch over the Ukraine conflict and said they were sincerely making efforts to resolve it, state-owned TASS news agency reported.

Reporting on his remarks at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, US media outlet Politico reported him as also saying, "If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that." Putin's remarks came within two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Ukraine where he held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We respect our friends and partners, who, I believe, sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding the conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency.

Separately, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Izvestia daily that India could help in establishing a dialogue on Ukraine.

Underlining the existing ‘highly constructive, even friendly relations’ between Modi and Putin, he said the Indian Prime Minister could ‘lead the line on getting first-hand information from the participants in this conflict,’ as he ‘freely communicated with Putin, with Zelenskyy, and with the Americans.’ "This gives a great opportunity for India to throw its weight in world affairs, to use its influence that would drive the Americans and Ukrainians towards using a greater political will and entering the peaceful settlement track,” Peskov said.

He, however, added there were ‘no specific plans’ on Modi mediating on the issue.

"At this time they can hardly exist, as we do not see any preconditions for talks for now,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Modi on August 23 visited Ukraine where he conveyed to President Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an ‘active role’ to restore peace in the region.

His nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister since its independence in 1991, came six weeks after he held summit talks with President Putin that triggered anguish in some Western countries.

In his talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Modi said India was on the side of peace since the beginning of the conflict and he would even like to contribute personally for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.