Russia-Ukraine conflict: Don’t think solution will emerge on battlefield, says EAM S Jaishankar

Dr S Jaishankar made the statement in Tokyo where he was attending the Quad Foreign Ministers` Meet on Monday, July 29. Pic X

Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that the solution to the situation will not emerge from the battlefield, and that it is imperative to return to dialogue and diplomacy, ANI reported.

He underlined how India had reiterated numerous times that the use of force is not the way to resolve problems between countries.

"From the very beginning, we had the view that the use of force does not resolve problems between countries. In the past two to two-and-a-half years, this conflict has cost lives, and led to economic damage and global consequences as well as impacted other societies, and contributed to global inflation... We do not think that the solution will emerge from the battlefield," Jaishankar said while speaking to the press on Monday in Tokyo, where he attended the Quad foreign ministers' meeting.

He further called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy and stated that continuous efforts should be made by the countries involved in the war to resolve the conflict.

"We believe that there must be a return to dialogue and diplomacy...Our feeling today is that more needs to be done, and we should not resign ourselves to the continuation of the current state of conflict and say let this take its own course..." the minister said.

Jaishankar was joined by the Foreign Ministers of Japan, Yoko Kamikawa, and Australia, Penny Wong, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the Quad meeting. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It is committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

The Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting joint statement issued on Monday said that the countries of the bloc were collectively advancing a positive and practical agenda to support the Indo-Pacific region's sustainable development, stability, and prosperity, responding to the region's needs.

The statement said that they contribute to a region in which all countries and people can exercise free choice on how they cooperate, and trade based on partnership, equality and mutual respect.

Through Quad, the countries are supporting the region through practical cooperation on challenges such as maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, cyber security, 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, the statement read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on an official visit to Moscow recently, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin there. It was PM Modi's first visit to Russia since the war started between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022.

India has been advocating "peace and diplomacy" for resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia but has continued to purchase Russian oil, despite objections from the Western nations, especially the US.

PM Modi said that anyone who believes in humanity is "pained" when there is a loss of life. He further stated that it is "heart-wrenching" when innocent children are dying. PM also reiterated that the resolution to the conflict can't happen on battlefield but is possible only through dialogue.

(With ANI inputs)