Jaishankar Calls for Diplomacy Over Force in Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the need for dialogue rather than battlefield solutions. Speaking at the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, he reiterated India's stance that force does not resolve international issues and highlighted the broader impacts of the conflict.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday emphasized that a solution will not emerge from the battlefield, asserting the need to return to dialogue and diplomacy. He highlighted how India has repeatedly stated that the use of force is not the way to solve problems between nations.

"From the very beginning, we believed that force does not resolve international issues. Over the past 2-2.5 years, this conflict has cost lives, caused economic damage, and had global repercussions, impacting other societies and contributing to global inflation. We do not think that a solution will emerge from the battlefield," Jaishankar said while addressing the press in Tokyo today. He called for continuous efforts towards dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

Jaishankar, along with Foreign Ministers of Japan, Yoko Kamikawa, Australia's Penny Wong, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on July 29 in Tokyo. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

The Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting joint statement issued on July 29 emphasized the bloc's collective agenda to support sustainable development, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The statement highlighted collaborative efforts on challenges such as maritime security, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and climate change, among others.

During his official visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was PM Modi's first visit to Russia since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. While India has consistently advocated for "peace and diplomacy" in resolving the conflict, it has continued purchasing Russian oil, despite Western objections.

PM Modi remarked that everyone who believes in humanity is pained by the loss of lives, describing it as "heart-wrenching" when innocent children die. He reiterated that the resolution to the conflict cannot be achieved on the battlefield but only through dialogue.

(With inputs from agencies.)