India reiterated at the UN that the Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield and stressed that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward.
Addressing the General Assembly, India’s envoy P Harish stressed New Delhi’s readiness to support global peace efforts, while also highlighting the human and economic cost of the ongoing war.
Speaking during the General Assembly debate on ‘The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine’, Ambassador Harish said, “India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. We maintain that the loss of innocent lives is unacceptable, and no solution can be found on the battlefield.”
Not An Era Of War
Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated message that “this is not an era of war,” Ambassador Harish reaffirmed that India stands ready to support diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the conflict to an early end.
“As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on several occasions, ‘This is not an era of war’. India stands ready to support diplomatic efforts for an early end to the conflict”, he said.
Diplomatic Efforts To Bring Lasting Peace
He stressed that India believes these diplomatic efforts hold the potential to bring the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to an end and to open up prospects for a lasting peace.
“We believe all these diplomatic efforts hold the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up prospects for a lasting peace”, Ambassador Harish said.
Ambassador Harish added, “The wholehearted participation and commitment of all stakeholders are critical for lasting peace.”
Alaska Summit
Noting that India welcomes recent positive developments in this direction, Ambassador Harish said, “We endorsed the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. We appreciate the progress made at the Alaska Summit. We also note the subsequent diplomatic efforts by the US President in engaging with the Ukrainian President and European leaders in Washington, DC”.
EAM Jaishankar Speaks With Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha
Earlier on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, reiterating India’s support for an early resolution of the conflict and reviewing areas of bilateral cooperation. Following the talks, Sybiha noted that Ukraine values India’s “authoritative voice” and counts on its active role in broader international peace efforts.
(With ANI Inputs)