‘PM Modi Used All Contacts To End Russia-Ukraine War’: Australian Envoy To India Reveals

Source : Press Trust of India (PTI)

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In an endorsement of India’s approach towards the Russia-Ukraine war, Australia acknowledged that PM Modi had used all his contacts to try and end the conflict. This comes amid disquiet in the West over India’s refusal to outrightly condemn Russia’s aggression and abstain from resolutions tabled on the Russia-Ukraine war in the UN Security Council as well as the UN General Assembly.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell revealed that Quad had accepted the Centre’s stance. India, Australia, the US and Japan have formed the ‘Quad’ coalition to counter China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.

At the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India’s priority was to ensure the safe evacuation of over 20,000 citizens stuck in the war-hit nation. Under the aegis of Operation Ganga, the Union government evacuated Indians who crossed the Ukraine border from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia.

While Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (retd) VK Singh reached Hungary, Slovakia and Poland respectively, Jyotiraditya Scindia went to Romania and Moldova to coordinate the evacuation mission and extend assistance to the stranded nationals. 

Even though one Indian – Naveen, a 4th-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University was killed in a Russian attack, the Centre managed to rescue about 22,500 citizens from Ukraine via 90 special flights.

Until now, PM Modi has spoken to both Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian president Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions on aspects such as the safe evacuation of Indian nationals and cessation of violence. On March 7, PM Modi also suggested a direct conversation between Zelenskyy and Putin in an attempt to broker peace.