External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has expressed India's willingness to act as a mediator in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict if approached, highlighting New Delhi's stance of not taking unilateral action in such matters.
Speaking to German economic daily Handelsblatt, Jaishankar also discussed India's energy procurement challenges post-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the country's reliance on Russian crude oil due to prioritized petroleum supply to Europe by Middle-Eastern suppliers.
He said India has had a “stable” and “very friendly” relationship with Russia, and that Moscow never hurt New Delhi’s interests.
“We, on the other hand, had a politically and militarily much more difficult relationship with China, for example,” he said.
Despite tensions, India maintains military cooperation with Russia, partly due to historical preferences of Western nations supplying arms to Pakistan.
Additionally, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of establishing multiple transport corridors in light of recent developments in the Red Sea, highlighting the fragility of existing connectivity links.
Read also | Ashwin Ramaswami: Trailblazing as the First Gen Z Indian-American Candidate for Georgia Senate
Read also | Jaishankar Affirms Russia's Positive Relations with India to German Daily
