Russian FM lauds India, Global South for seeking 'realistic' settlement avenues in Ukraine war

Addressing at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security, Lavrov said, "We appreciate China, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, India and other Global South countries’ sincere interest in promoting the quest for fair and realistic settlement avenues."

New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has commended India and other global south countries for their sincere commitment to coming up with realistic solutions for the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Addressing at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security on August 15, Lavrov said, "We appreciate China, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, India and other Global South countries’ sincere interest in promoting the quest for fair and realistic settlement avenues. President Putin and our country’s leadership have repeatedly spoken about this".

"It is critically important that the proposals coming from our friends in the developing world are based on a clear understanding of the true causes and nature of ongoing developments as fallout from the West's efforts to undermine the principle of indivisibility and security", Lavrov said. It is pertinent to note that Lavrov's specific mention of India for pursuing solutions to resolve the ongoing conflict indicates New Delhi's strong position on the world stage.

India in various global forums has time and again reiterated its stance on the Ukraine conflict and said that diplomatic negotiation is the way to solve the conflict. It has emphasized immediate cessation of hostilities. Lavrov's comments come ahead of the upcoming BRICS and G20 summits. While President Putin will virtually attend the BRICS Johannesburg summit, Foreign Minister Lavrov will be representing Russia in person at the G20 summit, which will take place in Delhi.

Also ever since the war broke out, New Delhi has been steadfast in providing all humanitarian aid and all assistance to Ukraine to deal with the crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladamir Putin several times since the war broke out. Last year during his meeting with Putin, PM Modi underlined the need to avoid war. India has played a strategically important role when it comes to resolving the Ukraine conflict. Both sides look up to India for help and support in arriving at an equitable solution to the conflict.