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German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier remark, "today's era is not of war", following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continues to resonate strongly across Europe, but has failed to influence Moscow's approach to the conflict.
Speaking to ANI on the prospects for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and PM Modi's peace message, Ackermann said Europe continues to view the Prime Minister's remarks as relevant amid the prolonged war. "It resonates in Europe a lot. It doesn't resonate in Russia, I'm afraid. I think he said that three years ago, and look at what happens. We are in a situation where the Russian ordinary citizen all of a sudden feels that there is a war. The infrastructure is being destroyed," Ackermann said. The German envoy expressed pessimism over the prospects for a ceasefire or peace negotiations, saying he has not seen any indication from Moscow that it is moving towards a negotiated settlement. He stated that Ukraine has consistently expressed its readiness for negotiations, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy making several proposals for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said those overtures have been rejected by the Russian side. "So, I don't see any movement by the Russian leadership towards a peaceful settlement. Not even a ceasefire is possible, let alone a peaceful settlement. So, I think the war has developed in a direction that should be of concern to Russia. But when I listen to what comes out of Moscow, I'm not very hopeful that things will change in Moscow. I think the Ukrainian side has always said that they are ready. President Zelenskyy has made many proposals to sit together with President Putin and try to negotiate. That has been refused by the Russian side. And so I am not optimistic, unfortunately," the German Envoy said. Prime Minister Modi made the remark during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 16, 2022, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. During his opening remarks at the meeting, PM Modi had said, "I know that today's era is not of war and we have spoken to you many times on the phone that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue are such things that touch the world." The statement has since been widely cited in international discussions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with India consistently maintaining that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path towards resolving the crisis. (ANI)
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