Tokyo [Japan], August 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India has maintained a principled and humanitarian stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a position that is "equally appreciated" by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He made the remarks during an interview with Japanese news outlet 'The Yomiuri Shimbun' during his visit to the country.
"India has maintained a principled and humanitarian stance on the conflict which is equally appreciated by both President Putin and President Zelenskyy. In line with this, both the leaders spoke to me to share their perspectives on the developments related to the conflict. I reiterated India's principled and consistent stand and encouraged dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict," the Prime Minister said.
Responding to a question on what role India envisions in peace efforts between the two nations, PM Modi said, "I have already indicated India's willingness to support meaningful efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of the conflict. I believe, by virtue of our good relations with both sides, including key stakeholders, we can strengthen efforts dedicated to the restoration of an early and lasting peace in Ukraine."
This comes at a time when India is facing 50 per cent tariffs from the United States for purchasing Russian oil, with the US administration accusing New Delhi of "funding the war" by trading with Moscow.
India has strongly criticised Washington for what it called "unjustified and unreasonable" tariffs on Indian goods, after the Trump administration raised duties to over 50 per cent as a penalty for India's continued oil trade with Russia.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the issue last week, said the government remains firm in protecting domestic interests. "What we are concerned about is that red lines are primarily in the interest of our farmers and, to some extent, our small producers. So when people pronounce that we have succeeded or failed, we, as a government, are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and small producers. We are determined on that. That's not something we can compromise," Jaishankar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day official visit to Japan, scheduled from August 29 to 30 where he attended the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. Following his visit to Japan, the Prime Minister will head to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin.
"From Japan, I will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. India is an active and constructive member of the SCO. During our Presidency, we have introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in the fields of innovation, health and cultural exchanges," PM Modi said in his departing statement.During his China visit PM Modi will hold two crucial bilateral meetings, one with the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and one with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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