External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar stated on Wednesday that India would be “pleased” to assist in resolving the Ukraine issue. Dr. Jaishankar, speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the crisis in Ukraine and its consequences under Rule 193, said that Russia is a “very significant partner,” but that India is opposed to the violence. During Operation Ganga to evacuate Indian students from Ukraine, he acknowledged the assistance provided by Russia, Ukraine, and even Indian nationals stationed in Eastern Europe.
“India continues to advocate for a quick suspension of hostilities and an end to violence in terms of diplomacy.” We support discussions between Ukraine and Russia, especially at the presidential level. In this regard, the Prime Minister has spoken to them both. This was the message delivered to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his visit to Delhi. We will gladly contribute if India can be of any support in this regard,” Dr. Jaishankar said, repeating India’s resolve to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Ukraine Deputy PM sought medical supplies from India
The EAM claimed that Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, had sought more medical supplies over the phone to deal with the issue. The Minister emphasized the crisis’ non-military consequences, which have impacted a wide range of economic operations such as the oil and fertilizer sectors, and stated that the government is working to secure food security for ordinary people in the country as well as in other countries. India will step forward to meet “world demands for food, grains, and other resources” as part of the government’s reaction to the crisis, he assured.
“Today, our focus is on stabilizing commercial transactions between India and Russia, which is critical for us.” “Russia is a very essential partner in a lot of areas,” Dr. Jaishankar added, alluding to Russia’s critical position in India’s defense industry. Despite stiff competition from France, Israel, the United States, and other western countries, Russia remains India’s major arms supplier. The particular remarks on commercial connections with Russia came in response to a question from Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury about how India will conduct business with Russia in the wake of Western sanctions.
“At the moment, an inter-Ministerial group lead by the Finance Ministry is looking into how the payments issue might be best resolved.” There are lessons from the past that may be applied now,” Dr. Jaishankar said, emphasizing the Finance Ministry’s critical role in ensuring a seamless flow of transactions with Russia.
India’s strong objection to the current conflict was communicated by Dr. Jaishankar. “We feel that no solution can be found by shedding blood and taking the lives of innocent people.” Dialogue and diplomacy are the correct answers to any conflict in today’s world, and this should be remembered. If New Delhi has taken a position, it is on the side of peace and the rapid cessation of bloodshed. This is our principled stance, and it has guided our posture in international forums and discussions, including at the UN.”
The situation in Ukraine, which Russia invaded on February 24, provided a unique obstacle in evacuating Indian students besieged in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv, among other places, according to the Minister. “No other country has ever carried out a mission like this.” Our evacuation has encouraged other countries. Dr. Jaishankar added, “I just met the Foreign Minister of a country who mentioned that they flew out two planes from Ukraine with their residents, and he was amazed that we carried out 90 evacuation flights.”
He further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to step in to ensure that students could be safely evacuated from Kharkiv and that he had to call both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leaders to create a safe environment for the evacuation.