Ukraine’s Foreign Minister to Make First India Visit Since Russian Invasion, Pitches for Peace Summit

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, is anticipated to embark on his inaugural visit to India since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022 by the end of this month, aiming to garner support for a peace summit, according to sources familiar with the matter as of Monday.

Accompanied by a distinguished delegation, Kuleba is slated to co-chair a meeting of the India-Ukraine inter-governmental commission with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, during this brief visit, the sources noted on condition of anonymity.

This forthcoming encounter marks the first convening of the commission, responsible for overseeing all facets of the bilateral relationship, since 2018.

While the official announcement of Kuleba’s visit is pending from both India and Ukraine, sources suggest his presence in New Delhi is anticipated around March 28.

Foremost on Kuleba’s agenda is expected to be a peace summit planned by neutral Switzerland in the coming months. The proposed summit, gathering world leaders, aims to build upon Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace framework unveiled in 2022 and subsequent diplomatic efforts.

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In a noteworthy development, China’s envoy to Switzerland expressed on Monday that Beijing is contemplating participation in the peace conference geared towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The Swiss government aims to convene the peace summit by this summer, following its proposition in January.

Kuleba initiated his first phone conversation of 2024 on January 3 with Jaishankar, primarily focusing on bolstering Ukraine-India relations.

In a post on X, Kuleba highlighted discussions surrounding Russia’s escalated attacks and the prospects of further collaboration on Zelenskyy’s peace plan.