‘NO WINNERS IN WAR’: PM WEIGHS IN ON UKRAINE
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday called for an end to the war in Ukraine, with the Indian leader asserting that no party can emerge victorious from the conflict that has already impacted poor and developing countries.
Addressing a joint media interaction after the India-germany inter-governmental consultations in Berlin, Modi said, “We believe that no party will emerge victorious in this war. Everyone will suffer losses and that is why we are in favour of peace.” Modi spoke in Hindi did not name Russia in his remarks.
Scholz, meanwhile, accused Russia of violating the “fundamental principles of international law”.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday called for an end to the war in Ukraine, with the Indian leader asserting that no party can emerge victorious from the conflict that has already impacted poor and developing countries.
Addressing a joint media interaction after the biennial India-germany inter governmental consultations in Berlin, Modi said that since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, India has called for an immediate ceasefire and insisted that dialogue is the only way to resolve the dispute. India is also deeply concerned by the war’s humanitarian impact, he said.
“We believe that no party will emerge victorious in this war. Everyone will suffer losses and that is why we are in favour of peace,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi and without naming Russia in his remarks.
“The turmoil caused by the Ukraine conflict has resulted in oil prices skyrocketing. There is a shortage of food grains and fertilisers in the world. This has burdened every family in the world, but its impact on developing and poor countries will be more severe,” he added.
Scholz accused Russia of violating the “fundamental principles of international law”, and said the war and brutal attacks on the civilian population in Ukraine “show how unrestrained Russia has been in violating the fundamental principles of the UN Charter”.
He added, “Thus, I repeat my appeal to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin – end this war, end the senseless killing, withdraw your troops from Ukraine.”
Scholz said the war highlighted the importance of a rules-based order, and that he and Modi discussed this matter in great detail. “We agree on the fact that borders should not be changed through the use of violence and that the inviolability of borders and the sovereignty of nations has to be universally accepted,” he said.
The world community should ensure a better future “not by waging wars against each other but by pursuing economic growth and development together”, Scholz added.
Modi said that in addition to sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine, India is helping other friendly countries through food exports, oil supplies and financial assistance.
A joint statement issued after the inter-governmental consultations said Germany “reiterated its strong condemnation of the unlawful and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine by Russian forces”, reflecting the differences between the two sides on the issue. Both countries “unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine”, and sought “an immediate cessation of hostilities”. They emphasised the global order was built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and “discussed the destabilising effect of the conflict in Ukraine and its broader regional and global implications”.
Like other European leaders, Scholz cautioned that the Ukraine crisis could have an impact on the Indo-pacific region. While the Indo-pacific is among the most dynamic regions of the world, it faces a “number of conflicts and challenges”, he pointed out at the media interaction.