External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said in the Lok Sabha on the situation in Ukraine that India is completely against the conflict and in favor of an immediate end to the violence. He also said that if India has chosen any side on this issue, then it is the side of peace.
Intervening in the discussion on Ukraine’s position in the lower house under Rule 193, Jaishankar said, “India’s stand is guided by national beliefs and values, national interests and national strategy. We are completely against conflict. We believe that no solution can come at the cost of violence and innocent lives. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only solution.
He said that in today’s global circumstances, we believe that all countries should respect the United Nations Charter and all international laws and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all.
Referring to the situation in Ukraine, the External Affairs Minister said, “If there is any side that India has chosen, it is the side of peace. We are in favor of ending violence immediately. We have outlined this position in all fora, including at the United Nations.
Demand for independent investigation on Bucha violence
On the incident related to the discovery of a large number of bodies in Bucha, Ukraine, Jaishankar said, “We are deeply disturbed by this report. We condemn these killings. We support the call for an independent inquiry into the incident.”
He said that the situation in Ukraine is affecting the economies of India and other countries of the world and we are paying attention to it.
The External Affairs Minister also said that the attempt to politicize India’s actions with regard to the situation in Ukraine is unfortunate, in a veiled reference to the comments of some opposition members in the discussion. The External Affairs Minister said, “We have communicated at every level from the presidential level of Russia and Ukraine, Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/MTUrPcR1VY
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2021
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself spoke.
He said that our message to the visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was that India is ready for any help it can give for peace.