India
pti-PTI
Jaishankar
said
New
Delhi
has
taken
the
“side”
of
the
well-being
of
Indian
citizens
in
the
conflict
and
that
India
is
among
the
countries
with
whom
all
sides
are
sharing
their
views.
New
Delhi,
Dec
09:
India
and
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
have
become
the
“voice
of
the
world”,
especially
of
the
developing
countries,
in
pushing
for
an
end
to
the
Ukraine
conflict
through
dialogue
and
diplomacy
as
soon
as
possible,
External
Affairs
Minister
S
Jaishankar
said
on
Friday.
He
also
said
that
New
Delhi
has
taken
the
“side”
of
the
well-being
of
Indian
citizens
in
the
conflict
and
that
India
is
among
the
countries
with
whom
all
sides
are
sharing
their
views.
“The
Indian
government
has
taken
the
side
of
the
well-being
of
Indian
citizens,”
the
external
affairs
minister
said
at
the
Aaj
Tak
Agenda
programme,
while
replying
to
a
question
on
which
side
New
Delhi
is
backing.
Jaishankar
said
a
large
number
of
countries
are
pushing
for
ending
the
conflict
as
soon
as
possible
through
dialogue
and
diplomacy
as
its
impact
is
being
felt
on
prices
of
food,
energy
and
fertilisers.
“I
think
today
India
and
Prime
Minister
Modi,
in
a
way,
have
become
the
voice
of
the
world,
particularly
of
the
developing
countries
because
its
(conflict’s)
is
being
felt
by
the
developing
countries,”
he
said.
Since
the
Ukraine
conflict
began
in
February,
Prime
Minister
Modi
spoke
to
Russian
President
Vladimir
Putin
as
well
as
Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr
Zelenskyy
a
number
of
times.
In
a
phone
conversation
with
Zelenskyy
on
October
4,
Modi
said
that
there
can
be
“no
military
solution”
and
that
India
is
ready
to
contribute
to
any
peace
efforts.
In
his
bilateral
meeting
with
Putin
in
Uzbekistan
on
September
16,
Modi
said
“today’s
era
is
not
of
war”
and
nudged
the
Russian
leader
to
end
the
conflict.
Asked
whether
India
can
become
the
peacemaker
in
ending
the
conflict,
Jaishankar
said
did
not
give
a
direct
reply.
“It
is
difficult
to
say
anything
at
this
point,”
he
said,
but
added
that
it
will
depend
on
the
situation.
“I
can
at
least
say
that
there
are
some
countries
with
whom
all
sides
share
their
views.
We
are
among
these
countries,”
he
said.
Asked
about
India’s
presidency
of
the
G20,
Jaishankar
described
it
as
a
matter
of
pride
and
that
the
Centre
has
support
of
all
states
and
other
stakeholders.
To
a
question
on
allegations
by
certain
opposition
leaders
that
the
government
was
hyping
up
India’s
presidency
of
the
grouping,
the
external
affairs
minister
said
they
are
entitled
to
have
their
views.
At
the
same
time
he
added
that
“G20
is
not
a
matter
of
politics
and
it
is
not
a
matter
of
dispute.”
“There
is
a
view
across
the
country
that
the
success
of
the
G-20
summit
will
be
a
matter
of
pride
for
all
of
us,”
he
said.
On
the
eastern
Ladakh
border
row,
he
said
there
have
been
some
results
following
the
talks
between
the
two
sides.
He
said
the
results
have
come
because
of
the
deployment
of
the
Army
India
made
in
the
region
following
escalation
of
tensions
in
2020.
On
ties
with
Pakistan,
Jaishankar
said
cross
border
terrorism
should
never
be
accepted
as
normal.
“Can
you
give
one
example
of
one
neighbour
resorting
to
terrrism
day
and
night
against
another
neighbour,”
he
asked,
making
it
clear
that
talks
with
Pakistan
cannot
happen
if
that
country
does
not
stop
cross
border
terrorism
against
India.
“We
should
never
accept
that
any
country
has
any
right
to
support
terrorism,”
he
said.
Asked
about
government’s
views
India-Pakistan
cricket
ties
and
requirement
of
cricket
players
to
visit
each
other’s
country
for
certain
tournaments,
Jaishankar
did
not
give
a
direct
reply.
“Tournaments
keep
coming.
Let’s
see,”
he
said.