Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward in the Ukraine crisis and the world community must soften the conflict’s consequences as it works to end the fighting, India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval told a conference on the war hosted by Saudi Arabia, Ednews reports citing The Hindustan Times.
Senior political officials and NSAs from some 40 countries, including China, France, Germany, the UK and the US, participated in the conference in-person or online in an effort to identify principles that can end hostilities. Russia was excluded from the two-day meeting.
Addressing the gathering in Jeddah on Saturday, Doval said all peace efforts involving all stakeholders must be pursued to find a “just and enduring solution”, and that India is participating in the meeting in this spirit.
The whole world, especially the Global South, is bearing the brunt of the situation, and India is providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and economic aid to countries of the Global South, he said.
India, Doval pointed out, has regularly engaged Russia and Ukraine at the highest levels since the start of the conflict. India also supports the global order based on principles in the UN Charter and international law. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by all states “must be upheld without exception,” he said.
Though several peace formulas have been proposed, each has “some positive points” but none is “acceptable to both sides”, Doval noted. The key question to be addressed is whether a solution acceptable to all relevant stakeholders can be found, he said.
