New Delhi: More than two weeks after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, October 4, and highlighted concerns about “far-reaching and catastrophic consequences” if nuclear installations are threatened.
When the Indian prime minister met with Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Samarkand on September 16, he said that it was not a time for war, with food, fertiliser and fuel security among the world’s major concerns at present.
In a phone call on Tuesday, Modi raised the matter of the safety and security of nuclear plants with Zelenskyy, a day after the head of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under Russian control, was released after being abducted before the weekend.
India has previously raised concern about the fighting around the nuclear plant at the United Nations Security Council during meetings focussing on the war in Ukraine. But, as per public records, this is the first time that Modi has spoken about it with either Russian or Ukrainian leaders.
Stating that Modi had underlined India’s importance to the safety and security of nuclear installations, the Indian government’s readout said, “He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment.”
The Ukrainian government’s press release noted that Zelenskyy termed “nuclear blackmail by Russia, in particular against the Zaporizhzhia NPP, is a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the whole world”.
The nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – is in the Zaporizhzhia region of southern Ukraine, one of the four regions that Putin unilaterally annexed last week.
Russian forces had in March taken over control of the plant but it continued to be operated by Ukrainian technical staff. There had been a lot of blame slung between Ukraine and Russia over the intense shelling near the site, which has led it to be disconnected several times from Ukraine’s power grid.
The UN’s atomic watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency, stated last Friday that there was grave concern about the security and safety of the power plant following a series of land mine explosions in recent days.
The director general of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, was abducted on Friday from his car on the road near the plant, as per the Ukrainian State nuclear agency. The IAEA said on Saturday that Russia claimed the Ukrainian official was “temporarily detained to answer questions”. His release was announced on Monday by IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi on Twitter.
A serviceman with a Russian flag on his uniform stands guard near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant outside the Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, August 4, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko
According to the Indian readout, Modi reiterated his call for early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
“He expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts. Prime Minister also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” said the press note.
Zelenskyy told Modi that the referendums organised by Russia in four Ukrainian regions and the announcement of their annexation were “null and void and do not change reality”.
He also conveyed to the Indian prime minister that Ukraine “will not hold any negotiations” with the Russian president “under such circumstances”.
“However, Russia did not advocate dialogue, but issued ultimatums and deliberately undermined this process. During a speech at a session of the UN General Assembly, I outlined our clear formula for peace. We are ready to work together with partners on its achievement,” the Ukrainian President stated, as per a rough translation of a readout from Kyiv.
India has stated since the start of the military invasion by Russia that it was ready to contribute to any peace effort.
Earlier, the Russian ambassador had denied that India had made any serious proposal to be a mediator in the current crisis. “I don’t know of any such proposal towards us – or any such intention on the Indian part,” Russian envoy Denis Alipov told reporters during a virtual press conference on September 23.
During a discussion on global food security, the Ukrainian president asked for India’s support for implementing the Black Sea grain initiative.
Along with discussions on bilateral issues, Zelenskyy also “renewed” his invitation to Modi to visit Ukraine.