As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar began on Monday his two-day Russia visit amid President Vladimir Putin’s praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indians, he will be reaffirming the Indian premier’s message during meetings with the Russian leaders on Tuesday that there can be no military solution to the Ukraine problems. He will also reiterate PM Modi’s call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to path of diplomacy and dialogue, sources told The Daily Guardian, adding that Jaishankar’s meeting with Putin cannot be ruled out.
EAM Jaishankar is on a two-day bilateral visit to Moscow at a time when there is no let-up in the war in Ukraine. Moreover, Jaishankar’s visit also assumes significance in the light of the fact that New Delhi is being seen as a potential negotiator between Ukraine and Russia. Most of the engagements and meetings will take place on Tuesday, as Jaishankar would be meeting his counterpart Russian Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov. No final word has come as yet on a meeting with Putin. However, sources say diplomatic efforts are on to fix an interaction between Jaishankar and Putin as well. So it cannot be ruled out either, say sources. India has been batting for peace in the region and has repeatedly stated that the escalation of the conflict must be stopped immediately. Sources told TDG that Jaishankar is going to reiterate PM Modi’s message that the problem must be resolved through diplomacy and not through military action. PM Modi’s concerns about the humanitarian crisis in the war-affected regions would also be highlighted by Jaishankar. What is also remarkable is that India has always expressed willingness to contribute to any peace efforts.
It may be recalled that during his meeting with Putin in Uzbekistan city Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, PM Modi had told the Russian President that “Today’s era is not an era of war, and I have talked to you on the phone about this.” It is in the backdrop of all this that Jaishankar’s visit has led to questions being raised as to whether India can help broker peace in Ukraine. PM Modi has himself offered to facilitate a direct communication between presidents of Russia and Ukraine so as to find a peaceful resolution to the problems. With this in view, Jaishankar’s trip to Moscow is being viewed as an important development.
Significantly, Putin has showered praise on “patriot” PM Modi and “talented” Indians in the last few days. Putin’s remarks appreciative of India and its leadership are being seen by diplomats as an indication of massive upswing in India-Russia relations despite sanctions by the western countries against Moscow as a result of Special Military Operation against Ukraine.
The Russian foreign ministry on Monday released a statement ahead of the EAM Jaishankar and Lavrov meeting, sharing details of the issues that would be covered during interactions. The ministers will exchange views on actual international issues with an emphasis on cooperation within the UN, SCO, G20, BRICS and RIC. They will discuss cooperation for India’s Chairmanship of SCO, fight against terrorism and a list of regional issues including the formation of security architecture in the Asia Pacific Region, the situation with Iranian nuclear programme, the situation in Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine, says the release.