 "3 important things Modi said about Russia-Ukraine war – Firstpost")
Although India’s stance on the Ukraine conflict has come under criticism in the West, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek solutions to his problems outside the battlefield.
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At a time when the Ukraine war appears to be at a turning point, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is about to make his first visit to Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has been regularly criticized by the West for its stance. Although India had called from the beginning for a cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, it not only continued to buy cheap Russian oil, but even increased its purchases.
In July, Modi travelled to Russia for his first visit of the new term in office. This visit further heated tempers in the West.
Although many politicians and commentators in the West have criticised India for working closely with Russia despite its devastating war on Ukraine and the worst security crisis it has created since World War II, India has been pushing for dialogue from the start. Modi is one of the few world leaders who can approach both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had also said that Modi had intervened three times to end the fighting in Ukraine and enable stranded Indians to escape the conflict zone.
Here are the three times Modi made important statements about the Ukraine war.
“No era of war”
In September 2022, after months of criticism, Modi made headlines in the Western press for telling Putin to his face and in front of the press not to wage war in Ukraine.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, Modi said this was not an era of war and democracy and diplomacy were the way to resolve conflicts.
“I know that today is not an era of war and we have spoken to you many times on the phone that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue are all things that touch the world,” Modi told the press, addressing Putin.
Modi further said: “We will certainly get an opportunity in the coming days to discuss how we can take the path of peace. And I will also get an opportunity to understand your point of view.”
“India is not neutral”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 2023, Modi said that India was not neutral in the Ukraine conflict.
Modi said India had taken a side, namely that of peace.
“Some people say we are neutral. But we are not. We are on the side of peace. All countries should respect international law and the sovereignty of countries,” Modi said.
Modi also reiterated his call to resolve all disputes through “diplomacy and dialogue” rather than war.
Modi went a step further than his previous public comments and suggested he was ready to play a role in defusing the crisis. While he did not offer direct mediation, he said that “India will do everything it can” and “supports all serious efforts to end the conflict and ensure lasting peace and stability.”
“Solutions cannot be found on battlefields”
Even during his heavily criticized visit to Russia in July, Modi told Putin that a war would achieve nothing.
Echoing his 2022 remarks that today is not the era of war, Modi told Putin in July that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield.
Modi said peace was “of paramount importance” and a solution to the war in Ukraine “cannot be found on the battlefield.”
Modi continued: “As a friend, I have also said that for the better future of our next generation, peace is of utmost importance… When innocent children are murdered, you see them dying, your heart aches and that pain is unbearable.”
