Peace in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war can only be achieved if both involved countries engage in sincere and practical conversations, remarked India at the Ukraine peace summit hosted by Switzerland, which was attended by 90 nations, but excluded Russia, while China did not attend. India disassociated itself from the joint communique that emerged from the summit, asserting that only options that are acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine alone can lead to abiding peace.
Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor of the External Affairs Ministry represented India at the Ukraine peace summit, while Russia wasn’t invited at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine and several other Western nations, including the hosting nation, Switzerland openly lobbied for the participation of India, however, New Delhi expressed that the signing of a peace initiative for the Russia-Ukraine war, by excluding Russia was concerning.
The weekend summit in Switzerland that concluded on Sunday saw leaders of more than 90 nations coming together, where dozens of countries expressed their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, calling for all parties to find a lasting solution to the conflict.
Underscoring India’s intent to resolve the largest European conflict since World War II, MEA Secretary assured that India would continue to remain engaged with all the stakeholders as well as both the parties involved to bring a lasting solution to the conflict.
The significant assurance for Ukraine at the Swiss-hosted ceremony came a few days after PM Narendra Modi held a “very productive” meeting with the Ukrainian President, assuring his Ukrainian counterpart that India would continue to do everything to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and bring peace through “dialogue and diplomacy”.
It is essential to note here that since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, India has engaged with both countries to avoid any escalation in the war. Maintaining a diplomatic stance, India hasn’t publicly criticized Russia for its Ukrainian invasion, however, at the same time, PM Modi told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin that “it is not an era of war”. BYTE: video 2: 1.15 to 1.40 Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Similarly, India has continuously expressed its support to Ukraine, with President Zelensky and the West believing that it is only because of India that Russia has not initiated a nuclear war in Ukraine.
Comments