Why did NSA Ajit Doval meet Putin in Russia? S Jaishankar explains

EAM S Jaishankar said that India does not have a peace plan for the Ukraine conflict but explained the reason behind PM Modi and NSA Ajit Doval's recent meetings with Putin and Zelensky

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday stated that India was not attempting to control the actions of its neighbours, adding that this was a real world where countries adjust to each other and find ways to work things out. He made these remarks while speaking at an event titled 'India, Asia and the World', hosted by the Asia Society and the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.

When asked how India was planning to address the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Jaishankar said: “On the war that’s going on… we believe that wars are not a way of settling disputes… a solution won’t come from the battlefield… we think that at some point there will be a negotiation… that has to include all the parties and cannot be one-sided… from those assessments, we have been engaging both Russia and Ukraine… to see if there is a way which would hasten the end of the conflict…”

He further clarified, “…It’s not that we have a peace plan… we are not suggesting anything… we are having these conversations and sharing them with the other side… my sense is that both sides appreciate it… if we look at the last few months… PM Narendra Modi met Ukraine President Zelensky in June… he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in July… he met Zelensky again in August… this month, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met President Putin… and yesterday, PM Modi met Zelensky again… we think if these conversations are helpful and there is something we can do… we could make a contribution…”

Jaishankar’s views on India’s ties with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Commenting on India’s shifting relations with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Jaishankar expressed confidence that the countries would eventually recognise the realities of interdependence and its benefits for all parties. Sri Lanka recently elected a new President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is perceived as being ‘pro-China’. Meanwhile, Bangladesh recently experienced political turmoil that ended the 15-year-long rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We stepped forward for Sri Lanka when it was facing a deep economic crisis… when nobody else came forward… I am glad we did it. We did it in a timely manner… on scale… we put out $4.5 billion…,” Jaishankar said, highlighting that India helped Sri Lanka, a ‘good’ neighbour, which did not want to see an economic meltdown at its doorstep.

“…what happens politically in Sri Lanka… that’s for their politics to work out… at the end of the day, each neighbour will have their own particular dynamics… it is not our intention to suggest that their dynamics must necessarily adhere to what we might consider as better for us,” he said. “…This is the real world. Everybody makes their choices, and then countries adjust to each other and find ways of working it out.”

Jaishankar’s remarks on Bangladesh

On Bangladesh, Jaishankar noted that the situation was “a little” different. “…what we have done particularly over the last decade is carry out projects that are beneficial for both of us… both countries have gained…,” the EAM said, stressing that India is not seeking to control every move of its neighbours.

Jaishankar expressed confidence that “at the end of the day… in our neighbourhood… the realities of interdependence, of mutual benefit… of the fact that our ability to get along will serve both our interests… those realities will assert themselves.”