India to be part of implementation of Zelenskyy’s peace formula: envoy

Oleksandr Polishchuk asks Indian students to continue their education in Ukraine saying that the government had shifted educational institutions to safer areas.

 Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk. | Photo Credit: Dinakar Peri

India will be part of the implementation of the 10-point peace formula proposed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the details are being discussed, Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksandr Polishchuk has said.

Mr. Polishchuk welcomed Indian students to continue their education in that country stating that the Ukrainian government had shifted educational institutions to safer areas.

“We motivate India to participate in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. It is not only in humanitarian component but also business-to-business which is mutually beneficial,” Mr. Polishchuk said at an event held on Friday to mark Ukrainian Independence Day, which was celebrated on August 24.

Mr. Zelenskyy first presented the peace formula at the G-20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.

Stating that the Russian attacks on critical infrastructure caused great problems to the civilian population, especially last winter, Mr. Polishchuk thanked India for providing humanitarian aid. As of August, India has handed over 14 consignments of humanitarian aid comprising essential items.

Trade and business

During the event, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the India-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IUCCI), a bilateral chamber focused on India and Ukraine, and the WTC, a business and industry association, to jointly promote business and trade between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mr. Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Tokyo in May during which he said that the war in Ukraine was a very big issue for the whole world and has had “many different impacts on the whole world”.

“But I don’t see this as a political or economic issue, for me this is an issue of humanity, an issue of human values,” Mr. Modi said, adding, “I wish to convince you that India and me in my personal capacity will do whatever is possible to find a solution to this.”

On the meeting with Mr. Modi, Mr. Zelenskyy had said he invited India to join the peace formula. The two leaders also discussed Ukraine’s needs in mobile hospitals and removing land mines during their first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

It was a Ukrainian missile with Ukrainian technology that sank the Moskva, the flagship of Russian Black Sea fleet, the envoy said referring to the incident of April 2022 and added, “This example should motivate our Indian colleagues and industry to look at cooperation with Ukraine for new capabilities for Indian armed forces.”

India has military equipment from both Russia and Ukraine and the Indian military is facing issues in delivery of supplies and components due to the war in Ukraine.

First-mover advantage

Addressing the event virtually from Kyiv, Yulia Klymenko, MP and first deputy head of transport and infrastructure committee, invited Indian companies to take the first-mover advantage in reconstruction in the war-torn country. About 23% of the railways, 7,000 km of roads and bridges, 30%-40% of airport infrastructure, and over 2,000 schools were damaged in the country, Ms. Klymenko said, adding that there was scope for Indian companies in physical infrastructure as well as social infra like health and education.

“If you are coming in first, there is a risk but one gets more profit,” she said, adding that there was no competition at the moment and the government was putting in place an insurance system for businesses.

On education, Ms. Klymenko said India had a lot of English-speaking teachers and that was one particular area where India could help Ukraine.