India communicating between Russia and Ukraine: Jaishankar

Washington: India is communicating between Russia and Ukraine to help the two warring nations resolve their differences, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

“I’m glad you used the word communication because I think at the moment perhaps (it) is the best description for what we are currently in terms of,” he said in response to a question during his appearance at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a top American think-tank.

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The minister was asked about India’s role in dealing with Russia and Ukraine.

“Our public position is that we do not believe that differences or disputes between countries can be settled by war. A second public position is we do not believe that we are actually from the battlefield going to get a decisive outcome. Three is if you’re not going to get a decisive outcome, at some point, in some form, there has to be a negotiation.

“If there is a negotiation, whenever we get there, then obviously there has to be some preparation or some exploration and some communication between the parties concerned, which is primarily rational,” the minister noted.

With these propositions in mind, India started “some exploratory discussions” he said, adding that it started during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Italy during G-7, and then during his visit to Moscow.

“Then after that, the trip that we made to Kiev. After which our National Security Advisor went back to Moscow, after which the Prime Minister met Zelenskyy last week in New York, and in between, at different levels, I, or our National Security Advisor, or some other people, we keep talking to both sides as well,” he said.

“We are very measured and circumspect about what we are doing. We’re not hiding it. Our effort is to have communications, take anything of interest that we have a conversation with, take anything of interest we hear to the other side, (and) communicate that in good faith. If there are reactions or ideas on that side, take it back.

The intent is to be helpful. To some extent, we have to keep other people sort of informed. Where it is necessary, we do that as well,” he added.

“Look, we are into a third year of war. There are not many countries today that have still the ability to go to these two capitals, talk to the two leaders, and then go back to the other one. I think in any conflict, if the intention at some point is to end the conflict, such endeavours are useful. I would say they’re even laudable,” he said.

“But again, please do understand we are not promising anything. We’re not suggesting we have some grand bargain or a peace plan. We are simply trying to do something helpful, reflecting the widespread anxiety in the world,” Jaishankar said.

Responding to a question on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the minister reiterated that India regards October 7 as a “terrorist attack” and understands that Israel had a need to respond.

“But, we also believe that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law, that it must be careful about any damage or any implications for civilian populations. Given what has happened in Gaza, it is important to have some kind of international humanitarian effort out there,” he said.

“We are very much concerned at the possibility of a broadening of the conflict not just what happened in Lebanon but also ..to the Houthis and the Red Sea and you know to some extent anything that happens between Iran and Israel,” he said.

“If as part of that concern, you can end up doing something about it. Again, don’t underestimate the importance of communication in difficult times. If there are things to be said and passed on and passed back, I think those are all contributions that we can make and we do,” he said.

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