In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Monday that the resolution will not be found on the battlefield, emphasizing the necessity of returning to dialogue and diplomacy. He highlighted India's repeated stance that force is not the solution to international disputes, and stressed that "more needs to be done." "From the outset, we believed that force does not solve issues between nations. Over the past 2-2.5 years, this conflict has resulted in loss of life, economic damage, and global repercussions, affecting other societies and contributing to global inflation... We do not believe that the solution will come from the battlefield," Jaishankar said during a press conference in Tokyo on Monday. He further urged for a return to dialogue and diplomacy, and called for sustained efforts by the involved countries to resolve the conflict. "We believe there must be a return to dialogue and diplomacy... Our view today is that more needs to be done; we should not accept the continuation of the current state of conflict and allow it to proceed on its own..." the minister added.
Jaishankar, along with the Foreign Ministers of Japan Yoko Kamikawa and Australia's Penny Wong, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, participated in the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo on July 29. The Quad, a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, is dedicated to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. The Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting joint statement issued on July 29 highlighted the collective efforts of the bloc to advance a positive and practical agenda supporting sustainable development, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, in response to regional needs. The statement emphasized their commitment to a region where all countries and people can exercise free choice in cooperation and trade based on partnership, equality, and mutual respect. 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 cooperate with regional partners to address shared challenges in the region, according to the statement.
Prime Minister Modi, who recently visited Moscow, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was PM Modi's first visit to Russia since the war began between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. Notably, India has consistently advocated for "peace and diplomacy" in resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia but has continued to purchase Russian oil, despite objections from Western nations, particularly the US. PM Modi expressed that the loss of lives is painful for all who believe in humanity. He further stated that it is "heart-wrenching" when innocent children are dying. The Prime Minister also reiterated that the resolution to the conflict cannot happen on the battlefield but only through dialogue.
