Welcome Any Country Wanting To Deter Russian Aggression, Defeat Hamas: US

The US would welcome any country interested in using its voice to further deter the Russian offensive in Ukraine and play a positive role in helping release hostages and defeating Hamas amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing on Thursday.

Asked how the US and the international community can use Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s influence to end the ongoing wars, Mr Patel said, “Specifically, first in the context of Russia-Ukraine, if any country is interested in using its voice to further deter Russian aggression on the people of Ukraine, we certainly would welcome that. In the current ongoing context in Gaza, any country that believes that they can play a positive role in helping us get to a release of hostages, helping us get additional humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and helping to defeat Gaza, certainly should and are welcome to play that role.”

India has often articulated and clarified its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. Amid the military conflict, PM Modi has spoken multiple times to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In December last year, Putin said that PM Modi is “willing to do his utmost” to address the Russia-Ukraine issue through “peaceful means.” Putin said this at a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Russia.

Putin also emphasised the positive stance of PM Modi on complex global developments, including the situation in Ukraine. “We know the stance of PM Modi and we repeated that on many occasions,” he noted.

The Russian President mentioned that he has advised PM Modi on the developments in Ukraine multiple times and indicated that further discussions on the matter would take place.

“Many times, I advised him of how things have been going there and I know that he (PM Modi) is willing to do his utmost so that the issue is resolved by peaceful means. So, we probably will delve into that deeper now, and we will give additional information to you at that time,” Putin added.

PM Modi also met Ukraine President Zelenskyy in Japan during the G7 summit in May 2023. During the meeting, PM Modi assured that he would do whatever was possible to help resolve the conflict. “India and I will do whatever we can to resolve the conflict,” PM Modi had said.

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in 2022, PM Modi told Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war.”

“Today’s era is not of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India and Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades,” PM Modi told Putin, expressing his concerns about the impact of the war on food and energy security.

In March, American media giant CNN published a report claiming that PM Modi averted a possible nuclear escalation between Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing military conflict. The report stated that outreach from PM Modi and other countries played an important role in dialling down the crisis.

The Biden administration was specifically concerned Russia might use a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon, the officials said. Amid the fears, the US sought to enlist the help of non-allies, including India, to discourage Russia from such an attack, CNN reported.

Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, said that India is committed to supporting a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country, with due regard to the security needs of Israel.

Delivering an address at the United Nations General Assembly meeting on the use of veto in March, Ms Kamboj said that India’s position on the conflict has been clear and has been stated on several occasions.

“Only a two-state solution, achieved through direct and meaningful negotiations between both sides on final status issues, will deliver an enduring peace. India is committed to support a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders, with due regard to the security needs of Israel,” Ms Kamboj said.