India can contribute in ending war in Ukraine: US ambassador to Kyiv

New Delhi: India, with its rising global profile and current presidency of the G20, can contribute significantly in ending the war in Ukraine, US Ambassador to Kyiv Bridget A Brink said on Wednesday.

At a special online briefing for a small group of Indian reporters, Brink said India’s leadership is critical in addressing various global challenges and New Delhi’s increasing concern over the adverse impact of the war on the Global South creates the ground for its role in defusing the crisis.

She said the United States hopes to work with its partners and allies around the world, including India, to support freedom and democracies, and the ability of countries to choose their own future.

“From Kyiv, every day I see both the devastating effects of the war and the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people,” Brink said.

The ambassador said India’s aspirations for global leadership and its calls for collective action through its G20 theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” reflect the spirit needed to achieve “peace”.

The war has wide-ranging implications for the global economy, food security and the basic principles outlined in the United Nations Charter on sovereignty and territorial integrity, she said.

“As this year’s president of the G20, your country’s leadership is critical to shaping global events, including in places like Ukraine,” Brink noted.

India is yet to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has been pressing for the resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

At a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 16 last year in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “today’s era is not of war” and nudged the Russian leader to end the conflict.

“We agree, as Prime Minister Modi said, that now is not the time for war. Ukraine has paid a terrible cost to defend its freedom and its independence. The loss of lives and human suffering is tragic here, and the effects of this war go well beyond Ukraine’s borders,” Brink said.

She said every democratic country has a stake in defending the principles of the UN Charter.

“I know that the people of India understand the importance of freedom of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and India’s leaders have spoken about these bedrock principles,” Brink said.

“While the war in Ukraine is happening in Europe, the global implications of the war should inspire leaders everywhere to look for solutions to bring it to an end,” she added.

Brink also complimented India for its efforts to uphold the global order based on democracy and rule of law.

“We are grateful for India’s partnership through the G20 and the Quad, and on the global stage by its tireless leadership in advancing multilateral cooperation and upholding the global order based on democracy and rule of law,” she said.

“India helps ensure that our citizens and democracies around the world are free to thrive in peace,” the envoy added.

The US ambassador to Ukraine said India’s leaders have a unique voice to stand up for developing countries and encourage the continuation and expansion of the Black Sea grain initiative to ensure that people around the world can access food that they desperately need.

The ambassador also noted how India is working to support the developing countries or the Global South through its G20 presidency.