On Wednesday, July 5, the US Ambassador to Kyiv, Bridget A Brink said that India can make a substantial contribution to settling the conflict in Ukraine given its growing global prominence and current G20 presidency.
India’s leadership is essential in addressing numerous global concerns, according to Brink, who made this statement at a special online briefing for a select group of Indian reporters. According to her, New Delhi’s growing concern over the conflict’s negative effects on the Global South provided the foundation for its participation in averting the crisis.
She added that the US aspired to work together with its allies and partners throughout the world, including India, in favor of freedom, democracies, and nations’ right to determine their own course in life. “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 stated that the mentality required to achieve “peace” is reflected in India’s aspirations for global leadership and its demands for collaborative action through its G20 theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” India’s role in the issue was framed by Brink in the context of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fruitful state visit to the US and President Joe Biden’s assessment of the US-India partnership as one of the most important in the world.
“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. As this year’s president of the G20, your country’s leadership is critical to shaping global events, including in places like Ukraine”, the US Ambassador said.
India has pushed for the Russia-Ukraine conflict’s resolution through negotiations and diplomacy.
Notably PM Narendra Modi, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to put a stop to the war when they met privately on September 16 of last year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
“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.
Brink however, declined to go into specifics when questioned about what role the US expects India to play. “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. 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,” Brink was quoted.
