'Hope India plays key role in summit on Russian invasion'

Ukraine hopes India will play a crucial role in a planned "peace summit" of world leaders to be hosted by Switzerland in March to find a resolution to the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion, Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Iryna Borovets said on Friday.

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Reiterating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine, Borovets said in an interview that India could also play a key part in the reconstruction of her war-ravaged country, where damage to infrastructure has been estimated at almost $500 billion.

Borovets described as "evil" and "outrageous" the reports that Indian nationals, who had secured support jobs with the Russian Army, were forced to fight with Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. Her comments came hours after India advised its citizens to stay away from getting caught up in the conflict.

"We are very grateful that India shows interest in participating in the global summit. They are just waiting for the invitation that [has] to be sent by the Swiss [government] because it will be held in Switzerland," Borovets said, referring to the global summit being organised in late March at Zelenskyy's request.