India’s national security adviser, who attended Saudi-hosted peace talks on Ukraine over the weekend, has emphasized that New Delhi views dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path to ending the conflict.
Ajit Doval reaffirmed India's commitment to finding a lasting and comprehensive solution to the crisis.
"The global impact of the Ukraine conflict is substantial, particularly for countries in the Global South. In response, India is providing both humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and economic aid to its neighboring countries in the Global South,” the official said, according to Indian media reports.
“The meeting in Jeddah presents a twofold challenge — resolving the ongoing situation and mitigating the repercussions of the conflict. To address these challenges effectively, concerted efforts must be directed towards both aspects simultaneously, requiring substantial groundwork," Doval added.
The national security adviser stressed need for all stakeholders to be involved, to achieve a just and enduring settlement.
“It is in this spirit that India participated in the meeting in Jeddah,” he said.
New Delhi has been consistently engaging with both Russia and Ukraine at the highest diplomatic levels since the outbreak of the conflict, Doval noted.
"While numerous peace proposals have been put forward, none have garnered full acceptance from both parties. Therefore, a pivotal question that necessitates addressing during the meeting is whether a solution that satisfies all relevant stakeholders can be achieved," Doval said.
He added that India supports the global order based on the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law.
India’s participation in the Jeddah summit, which was attended by around 40 nations including China, “is in consonance with our long-standing position that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told reporters last week.
New Delhi participated in a similar meeting in Copenhagen in June, where it was represented by MEA’s Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma. Neither meeting involved Russia.
However, unlike in Copenhagen, Kiev has reportedly shifted its stance and was no longer pushing its peace formula that calls for Russia's complete withdrawal from Ukraine, returning the country to its 1991 borders. Moscow had deemed this approach unattainable.
India was one of the four members of the BRICS group of emerging economies to take part in the Saudi-hosted peace talks, and Moscow has said it will discuss the outcome of the consultations with its BRICS partners.