• Source:JND
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that one is not going to find a solution from the battlefield and said that at some stage, "people will come to the table" when it comes to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict. Jaishankar, who is in Italy on an official visit from November 24-26 to participate in the outreach session of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, said that "the sooner they do it, the better because the rest of the world is being affected".

The External Affairs Minister said this during an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"We have today two major conflicts taking place simultaneously. This is putting the entire international system under great stress,” he said.

"And we cannot be just spectators and say, well, that's the way it is. It may or may not work. We will not know until we try. But we do believe that on both these conflicts, in Ukraine and in the Middle East, countries need to take initiatives, make efforts, however difficult it looks, to try and find some common ground, something better than what we have today," he was quoted as saying in the interview published on Tuesday.

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On November 19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict entered its 1000th day. It began in February 2022. Asked what the pathways he saw were, the minister said, "Engaging the participants."

"So you have to talk to Moscow and you have to talk to Kyiv. And that's what we are trying to do. Look, it's now nearly three years. You're not going to get a solution from the battlefield, right? We have to negotiate. At some stage, people will come to the table. The sooner they do it, the better, because the rest of the world is affected," the minister added.

“It's not just that Europe is taking the brunt of this conflict. Everybody else's life is also impacted by what is happening. So, do understand there is a big feeling across very large parts of the world. More effort needs to be done to actually get the participants back to the negotiation table," he said.

Jaishankar further said that "the case for countries taking an initiative to return to the negotiating table is compelling". "And, I would say to you this is a very widespread sentiment in the world".

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When asked what sense he was, "the case for countries taking an initiative to return to the negotiating table is compelling". "And, I would say to you this is a very widespread sentiment in the world".

(With input from agencies)

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