Responding to a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India does not believe in “finding a solution by shedding blood” and it rather encourages dialogue.
“We encourage dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. What is India advocating in Ukraine? We are, first and foremost, strongly against any conflict. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives,” the foreign minister said.
“One should bear in mind that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, on respect for international law and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” he asserted. “If India has chosen a side, it is a side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence. This is our principled stand and has consistently guided our position in international forums and debates, including in the UN,” Jaishankar said.
Talking about the civilian killings in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, Jaishankar said India is “deeply disturbed” by the reports. “We strongly condemn the killings that have taken place there. This is an extremely serious matter and we support the call for an independent investigation,” he said.
Jaishankar also said that attributing a political colour to India’s actions vis-a-vis the Ukraine situation was unfortunate.
The Lower House initiated a debate on the situation in Ukraine after RSP member NK Premachandran and Congress MP Manish Tewari issued a notice under rule 193.
The members of the Parliament want the Union government to respond on the queries regarding the future course of the Indian students who were evacuated from the war-torn European country, as well as, India’s current position on the situation.
Earlier on Tuesday, four union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Gen VK Singh – who were sent to different countries neighbouring Ukraine as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoys during the evacuation process, briefed the house over the evacuation of Indians under Operation Ganga.
On the other hand, Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke with his US counterpart US Secretary of State Tony Blinken over the phone to review regional and global priorities including the situation in Ukraine, a State Department spokesperson said.
They agreed to remain closely coordinated on developments and looked forward to meeting again soon, Price said in a readout of the call. Jaishankar and Blinken speak regularly over the phone and meet at frequent intervals. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are also expected to be in Washington DC for the first two-plus-two ministerial meetings between the two countries under the Biden administration.
Meanwhile, last week, Jaishankar had defended its decision to look for “good deals” for its energy requirement amid volatility in the market, while pointing out that Europe has been a major buyer of Russian oil and gas even after the crisis in Ukraine unfolded.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made the remarks in the presence of visiting British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, shortly after holding extensive talks with her on a range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine.
“When the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for countries to go out into the market and look for what are the good deals for their people,” Jaishankar said.
“But I am pretty sure if we wait for two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian oil and gas, I suspect the list would not be too different from what it used to be and I suspect we won’t be in the top 10 on that list,” he said. Jaishankar’s comments came on a day Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in India on a two-day visit.
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