Ex-Indian envoy to Ukraine hails PM Modi's stress on ceasefire and diplomacy amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], November 15 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reiterated his call for a return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, former Indian Ambassador to Ukraine, VB Soni hailed PM Modi's remarks and said that the differences can be resolved in an amicable manner and a 'man-made crisis' like this can be averted 'if given a direction from a country like India'.
"Russia-Ukraine crisis is the main problem which we are facing because first, it was the Covid of which we had no control, but this is a man-made crisis and a man-made crisis can be averted. There is a show of force from both sides. So, there has to be a cool-headed approach to that and India could provide that particular approach and leadership by bringing concerned parties to a discussion table because it had been made very clear a number of times by the Indian government and Indian Prime Minister that this is not the era of war," the former envoy told ANI.
He said that it is the need of the hour in the present times to resolve differences in an amicable manner and not the age to indulge in fights.
"This is the age where we have to resolve differences in an amicable manner. This is not the age where we have to indulge in fighting, deaths of innocent people, not just the physical death, but also the supply chain getting affected and the whole world, therefore, cannot afford to just sit back and let things take their own course. It has to be given a direction and that direction is likely to come from a country like India because we are the leaders, we understand the feeling we see from, we speak from my own experience, from our heart", VB Soni added.
Addressing the G-20 Summit's session on Food and Energy Security in Bali, Prime Minister Modi said: "I have repeatedly said that we have to find a way to return to the path of ceasefire and diplomacy in Ukraine. The need of the hour is to show concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world."
The Prime Minister further said, 'The onus of creating a new world order for the post-Covid period lies on our shoulders. Showing concrete and collective resolve to ensure peace, harmony and security in the world is the need of the hour. I am confident that we will all agree to convey a strong message of peace to the world when the G20 meets in the holy land of Buddha and Gandhi next year.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed at the summit venue by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi has bilateral meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
Indonesia's President will hand over G20 Presidency to India at the closing ceremony of the Bali summit. India will officially assume the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022.
PM Modi will extend personal invitations to G20 members and other invitees at the G20 summit scheduled to be held in India in 2023. The 17th edition of the G20 Summit will extensively focus on key issues of global concern under the theme of 'Recover Together, Recover Stronger'.