Austria and India, at the level of foreign ministers, have called for peace talks on Ukraine, Ministers Alexander Schallenberg and Subramanyam Jaishankar, respectively, said at a press conference in Vienna on Monday.
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“India has a big role to play in this regard, Prime Minister (Indian Narendra) Modi remains one of the few who regularly negotiates with both sides – with Russia and with Ukraine … We also have high expectations from India’s G20 presidency.. “Our aim must be to restore peace so that diplomacy can be re-engaged in Ukraine. We are not yet that far advanced, a solution is still being found on the battlefield… but we must not forget our goal,” the Austrian minister said.
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He added that “peace can be achieved at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield, and this war will be no exception.” Peace talks on the Ukrainian conflict “cannot take place without Ukraine,” Schallenberg said.
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“We insist on negotiations. The Prime Minister recently held talks not only with President Zelensky, but also with President (of Russia Vladimir) Putin … I myself spoke with Foreign Ministers of (Russian) Lavrov and (Ukraine) Kuleba,” he said.
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Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar, adding that the international community is calling for “an end to this conflict or a return to negotiations.”
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He noted “specific problems” in connection with the current situation in Ukraine, mentioning, in particular, nuclear safety at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. According to the minister, on Tuesday he intends to discuss this topic at a meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi. Jaishankar pointed out that the Ukrainian conflict has also led to an increase in food and fuel prices in the world, which “very painfully” affected a large part of the developing countries.
