The BRICS TimesExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held discussions with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the ongoing war in Ukraine.
India on Friday reiterated its stand in favor of a swift resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine and emphasized the need for a lasting peace across the region. The statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) comes at a time when the United States has stepped up efforts to push for an end to the hostilities.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underlined New Delhi’s position, noting, “As far as the conflict in Ukraine is concerned, we welcome all the recent efforts towards establishing peace in Ukraine.” He further added, “We hope that all parties will proceed ahead constructively. India supports an early end of the conflict and the establishment of an enduring peace,” while addressing the weekly media briefing.
The remarks followed a conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on Thursday, where the two leaders discussed the latest developments linked to the war. After the discussion, Sybiha wrote on social media that he had briefed Jaishankar on the “current battlefield situation and Ukraine’s efforts to achieve a just peace.” He also remarked, “We rely on India’s authoritative voice and active role in supporting the full cessation of hostilities and broader international peace efforts.” Sybiha revealed that both ministers agreed to meet later this month during the UN General Assembly session.
The Jaishankar-Sybiha exchange took place shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. During this interaction, Modi reiterated that India appreciates the ongoing initiatives aimed at peace in Ukraine, stressing that it is a global responsibility to resolve the crisis at the earliest.
Just before Modi’s meeting with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had also spoken to the Indian Prime Minister over phone. Following their conversation, Zelenskyy stated that India was prepared to play a constructive role and convey an appropriate message to Moscow in order to advance peace efforts.
Since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has consistently urged for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable way forward. In July last year, Modi had traveled to Moscow and conveyed directly to Putin that the conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield and that meaningful peace cannot be achieved amidst ongoing violence. A month later, during his visit to Kyiv, Modi told President Zelenskyy that both Russia and Ukraine must engage in direct talks without delay to bring the devastating war to an end.
Akshay Didwaniya
