India wants to help resolve the war in Ukraine
Published: Friday, Aug 23rd 2024, 15:50
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During a visit to Kiev, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized his country's willingness to contribute in any way to ending the war in Ukraine.
"President Selenskyj knows that we mean well with Ukraine," said Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar after a meeting between Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj - just weeks after a visit by the Indian head of government to Moscow. "We believe that this conflict must end." The foreign minister also explained that Indian diplomacy does not participate in sanctions against other countries as a matter of principle. "We expect both sides to work towards a solution," he said.
Joint declaration recalls Swiss summit
In a joint statement, Zelensky and Modi recalled the peace meeting in Switzerland in June. Russia had not taken part and India had not signed the final declaration. Nevertheless, Modi and Selenskiyj now referred to this communiqué as a basis for possible peace negotiations. They also emphasized the importance of the UN Charter, which guarantees all states the inviolability of their borders.
India - the world's most populous country - is neutral on the war. So far, however, the country has not made any concrete proposals for conflict resolution through dialog. The subcontinent maintains good relations with the West and Moscow, on which it is heavily dependent for its military equipment, even if it is trying to reduce this dependence. During the war, India has also become one of the largest buyers of cheap Russian oil.
Modi had only visited Moscow in July - for the first time since the war of aggression began. Pictures of the meeting, during which Modi and Putin embraced, went around the world and had a disturbing effect in many Western countries. Selensky condemned Modi's closeness to the Kremlin chief at the time. Jaishankar said: "There is a cultural difference that people in the West may not understand," he said. "Today, Prime Minister Modi has also embraced Zelenskyi." Ukraine is hoping for India's support because it is an important voice in global politics.
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