Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words to Russian President Vladimir Putin have found support from France's Emmanuel Macron who recently said that PM Modi was right when in telling Putin that this is not the time for war. Macron made the comments while addressing world leaders at the General Debate of the ongoing 77th Session of the UN General Assembly session in Samarkand.
"Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India was right when he said the time is not for war. It is not for revenge against the West or for opposing the West against the East. It is the collective time for our sovereign equal states to cope together with challenges we face," Macron said.
"This is why there's an urgent need to develop a new contract between the north and the south – an effective contract which is respectful for food, for biodiversity, for education. It's no longer time for block thinking but to build a coalition of specific action to reconcile legitimate interests and common goods," he said.
What did Modi say to Putin?
Modi, who met Putin last week on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, had told the Russian leader that "today's era is not of war". He has spoken to Putin several times over the phone regarding this issue and underlined the importance of democracy, diplomacy and dialogue.
Putin had told Modi that he knows his "position on the conflict in Ukraine and the concerns that you constantly express".
"We will do our best to make it stop as soon as possible. However, unfortunately, the opposing side, the leadership of Ukraine, announced that it was abandoning the negotiation process and declared that it wants to achieve its goals by military means, 'on the battlefield', as they say. Nevertheless, we will always keep you informed of what is happening there," Putin had said.
Putin escalates operations in Ukraine
"Russia is today seeking to uphold a double standard but the war in Ukraine must not be a conflict that leaves anyone indifferent," Macron said at the UNGA session. Even as Macron appealed to the world to give up "neutrality" in dealing with Russia's Ukraine offensive, Putin has declared partial military mobilisation in wake of losses on the battleground as the conflict between the two nations nears the seventh month.
Putin has accused the West of engaging in 'nuclear blackmail' and noted and warned the West that the military mobilisation is 'not a bluff'.
(With inputs from Agencies)
