India 'deeply concerned' about escalation in Ukraine, ready to support de-escalation: MEA

As Russia launched a barrage of missile strikes on multiple targets across Ukraine, India expressed its deep concern and offered to support all efforts to de-escalate the conflict, saying that escalation of hostilities would serve no one’s interests.

Russia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing civilians and knocking out power and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin declared to be revenge for Ukrainian attacks including on a bridge to Crimea.

“India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and deaths of civilians,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, hours after the missiles fired by Russia hit energy, communications and military infrastructure in Ukraine.

“We reiterate that escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, stated. “We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue.”

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He also stated that India stood ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation.

India last month conveyed to Russia global concern over the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took up the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a bilateral meeting on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly and requested him to ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant to avoid any catastrophic disaster.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sideline of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan last month. “Today’s era is not of war”, the Prime Minister told the Russian President during the meeting. The Prime Minister’s appeal to the Russian President was hailed by the media and the governments in the West.

Modi earlier this month spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over phone and reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The Prime Minister expressed his firm conviction that conflict could have no military solution and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.

India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.