Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the solution will not emerge from the battlefield, adding that it is important to return to dialogue and diplomacy.
He underlined that India has repeatedly reiterated that the use of force is not the way to resolve problems between countries, and stressed that “more efforts need to be made in this regard.”
Speaking to the press in Tokyo today, Mr Jaishankar said, “From the very beginning, we believed that the use of force does not resolve problems between countries. Over the last 2-2.5 years, this conflict has cost lives, caused economic damage and global consequences, impacted other societies and contributed to global inflation… We do not think the battlefield will lead to solutions.”
The Foreign Minister further said that there should be a return to dialogue and diplomacy and sustained efforts should be made by the countries concerned to resolve the conflict.
The minister said, “We believe there has to be a return to dialogue and diplomacy…Our feeling today is that more work needs to be done, we should not be willing to let the current state of conflict continue and say let it run its course…”
Mr Jaishankar, along with Foreign Ministers Yoko Kamikawa of Japan and Penny Wong of Australia, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, attended the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting held in Tokyo on July 29.
The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and resilient.
The joint statement of the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting issued on July 29 said that the countries of the bloc are collectively pursuing a positive and pragmatic agenda to support the sustainable development, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, which will meet the needs of the region.
They contribute to a region in which all countries and people can exercise free choice regarding how to cooperate and trade on the basis of partnership, equality and mutual respect, the statement said.
Through the Quad, the countries are supporting the region through practical cooperation on challenges such as maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, cybersecurity, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, health security, climate change, counterterrorism, infrastructure and connectivity, and addressing the debt crisis through sustainable, transparent and fair lending and financing practices. The countries will collaborate with regional partners to address shared challenges in the region, the statement said.
PM Modi, who recently went on an official visit to Moscow, met Russian President Vladimir Putin there. This was PM Modi’s first visit to Russia since the war between Moscow and Kiev started in 2022.
It is noteworthy that India has always advocated “peace and diplomacy” to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but it has continued to buy Russian oil despite objections from Western countries, especially the US.
PM Modi said everyone who believes in humanity feels sad when lives are lost. He added that it is “heartbreaking” when innocent children die.
The Prime Minister also reiterated that the conflict can only be resolved through dialogue and not on the battlefield.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
