Amid Russian nuke threat, Modi dials up Ukraine Prez

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, October 5. After telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not an era of war”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, on Tuesday.

“The leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy,” Prime Minister’s Office said in a media statement.

The western countries are debating the prospects of Putin using low-grade nuclear weapon to regain the lost grounds in Ukraine.

Modi expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.

“Prime Minister also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.
Prime Minister emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine,” added the PMO.

Modi’s initiative to dial up the Ukrainian President is seen amid the growing worry that an extended war could take the global community into an unpredictable path, while there are no efforts being made to bring peace in the region.

Russian invasion of Ukraine is now over seven months old, and the Ukrainian forces are fast recovering the lost grounds.

“PM Modi underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment. The two leaders also touched upon important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021,” added the PMO.

Clearly, Modi is not taking the prospects of Putin using the nuclear weapon lightly, and is stepping up initiatives to bring peace in the war-ravaged region.

The western commentators are reminding that Russian doctrine of ‘Escalate-Deescalate” shouldn’t be taken lightly in the context of nuclear threat.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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