'Modi Can Still Play A Role': Ukraine MP Hails PM For Persuading Russia To Refrain From Using Nuclear Weapons

Last Updated:March 17, 2025, 13:49 IST

“PM Modi, indeed, has played a significant role and he still can play a role. ⁠Ukraine wants peace. Indian is a leading power . India’s perspective matters to us," says Ukrainian MP Sviatoslav Yurash

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, in August 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Ukrainian MP Sviatoslav Yurash hailed PM Narendra Modi’s role in pushing Russia to refrain from using nuclear weapons.

Poland’s deputy foreign minister and secretary of state Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 on Monday said the country was “grateful" for India’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war as he revealed that PM Modi had persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin to not use nuclear tactical weapons. “We had a great visit of PM Modi to Warsaw. PM Modi did persuade Putin not to use nuclear tactical weapons. We want permanent peace. We want stable and sustainable peace in Ukraine," he said.

PM Narendra Modi, in his podcast with Lex Fridman which was released on Sunday, too, spoke about “peace" in Russia-Ukraine war. “I have always maintained that I stand with peace. I am not neutral. I have a stance and that is peace, and peace is what I strive for."

WHAT UKRAINE SAID

“PM Modi, indeed, has played a significant role and he still can play a role. ⁠Ukraine wants peace. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians," said Yurash, adding, “We gave up nuclear arsenal for security guarantee. India is a leading power . India’s perspective matters to us. India pushed Russia not to use nuclear weapons."

“PM Modi’s visit matters a great deal to us. The PM does play a significant role. It is fundamental to build relationship with India. We want relationship with giant India," he said.

PM MODI SAID ON HIS TIES WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE ON PODCAST

“I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike. I can sit with President Putin and say that this is not the time for war, and I can also tell President Zelensky in a friendly way that brother, regardless of how many people stand with you in the world, there will never be a resolution on the battlefield. The resolution will only come when both Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table. Ukraine may hold countless discussions with their allies, but it will bear no fruit. Discussions must include both parties instead. Initially, it was challenging to find peace, but now the current situation presents an opportunity for meaningful and productive talks between Ukraine and Russia. There has been a lot of suffering. Even the global south has suffered. The world has been grappling with a food, fuel and fertilizer crisis. So the global community should unite in the pursuit of peace," he said.

PM MODI ON PEACE

Underlining the importance of peace amid the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, PM Modi said, “I represent the country that is the land of Lord Buddha. I represent the country that is the land of Mahatma Gandhi. These are the great souls whose teachings, words, actions, and behavior are entirely dedicated to peace. And that is why culturally and historically our background is so strong that whenever we speak of peace, the world listens to us. Because India is the land of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi and Indians aren’t hardwired to espouse strife and conflict. We espouse harmony instead. We seek neither to wage war against nature, nor to foster strife among nations. We stand for peace and wherever we can act as peacemakers, we have gladly embraced that responsibility."

“I believe that modern wars are no longer just about resources or interests. Today I see so many kinds of conflicts happening. Physical battles often get discussed. Struggles are happening in every domain…And a development-driven approach is the way forward. Expansionism will not work. As I’ve said before, the world is interdependent and interconnected. Every nation needs one another, no one can stand alone. And from all the different forums I attend, one thing is clear: Everyone is deeply worried about these conflicts. We can only hope that peace is restored very soon," he said.

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