Defence Minister Rajnath Singh voiced deep concern over the escalation of tension along the Russia-Ukraine border and said the issue could only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (February 22) said India wants to ensure "international peace" and is hopeful of a solution to the Ukraine crisis through dialogue between the US and Russia.
"India wants a solution through talks, and peace needs to be established," Rajnath Singh said. He exuded confidence and said, "I am sure a solution will emerge following talks between Russian President Putin and US President Biden."
India is in favour of maintaining international peace, the Defence Minister said. Voicing "deep concern" over the escalation of tension along the Russia-Ukraine border after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into eastern Ukraine, India said in the UN Security Council that the immediate priority is a de-escalation of tensions. India has stated that the issue could only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed decrees to recognise Ukraine's regions of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics as
independent nations escalating the tension in the region. There are now fears of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
President Putin also has ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine in what the Kremlin called a "peacekeeping" mission in the Moscow-backed regions.
"These developments have the potential to undermine peace and security of the region," India maintained at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine.
"We need to give space to the recent initiatives undertaken by parties which seek to diffuse tensions. In this context, we welcome the
intense efforts underway, including through the Trilateral Contact Group and under the Normandy format. We need parties to exert greater efforts to bridge divergent interests. We cannot afford to have a military escalation," TS Tirumurti, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said at the UN Security Council meeting.
