New Delhi: India will be “glad” to help in bringing about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion regarding the crisis in Ukraine and its implications, Dr. Jaishankar said that Russia is “a very important partner” but also held that India is against the conflict.
“In terms of diplomacy, India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence. We encourage talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their Presidents. If India can be of any assistance in this matter, we will be glad to contribute,” Dr. Jaishankar said, reiterating India’s commitment to supply humanitarian goods to Ukraine.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and asserted that there can be no military solution to the Ukraine conflict, while also underlining that the endangerment of nuclear facilities could have catastrophic consequences.
During their telephone conversation, PM Modi and Zelenskyy discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the prime minister reiterated his call for early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Jaishankar in his statement in the parliament pointed to the non-military fallout of the crisis, which has affected a wide spectrum of economic activities like the energy and fertilizers sectors, and said the government is trying to ensure food security for common people in the country as well as in countries abroad. As part of the government’s response to the crisis, he assured, India will step forward to meet “global demands for food, grains and other materials”.
Russia continues to remain the largest arms supplier to India despite strong competition from France, Israel, the United States, and other western countries.
“We believe no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. In this day and age, dialogue and diplomacy are the right answers to any dispute and this should be borne in mind. If India has chosen a side — it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence. This is our principled stand and it has consistently guided our position in international forums and debates, including in the United Nations,” Jaishankar said.
