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PM Modi's 'today's era is not of war' message resonated in Europe: German envoy
Russia-Ukraine War: German envoy said there has been a "certain shift" in India's position on the war in Ukraine as he referred to the Indian statement on the UN resolution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "clear" message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that 'today's era is not of war' resonated widely in Europe in a very positive way, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann said on Sunday while complimenting India's position that sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries must be respected.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, the envoy said there has been a "certain shift" in India's position on the war in Ukraine as he referred to the Indian statement on the UN resolution against Moscow's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
Ackermann said Germany would not "blame" the Indian side for buying crude oil from Russia, but what it expects is a clear positioning saying international laws must be adhered to.
Elaborating on the global energy crisis triggered by the war, Ackermann said there is a need for an international network of like-minded countries to deal with it and that Germany counts India in this group.
Asked about Prime Minister Modi's message to Putin to end the war, Ackermann said, "It is a sentence that has resonated widely in the region in a very positive way."
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"It is a very beautiful phrase. The whole world was listening to it. I think it was a very very clear, very loud sentence that I cannot underline how much I agreed with Prime Minister Modi. So we were very pleased to hear the sentence," he said.
In his bilateral meeting with Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16, Modi said "today's era is not of war" and nudged the Russian leader to end the conflict.
Germany has been playing a vital role in formulating Europe's strategy to deal with the crisis in Ukraine and it has provided shelter to over one million Ukrainian refugees besides sending humanitarian aid to that country.
Ackermann also noted India's statement at the UN during the discussion on a resolution on the Russian annexation of four Ukrainian regions though New Delhi abstained from voting on it.
"There are certainly some disagreements on some issues. I would say that in the last couple of months if you read carefully the Indian statements on the matter, you will see a certain shift in the Indian position," he said.
"We read carefully what the Indian representative to the United Nations said during the vote on the resolution on the annexation. Unfortunately, India abstained, but what the Indian representative said made it clear that India has a very strong emphasis on sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.
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Ackermann said respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law are crucial and that he saw a growing overlap between German and the Indian position on the crisis.
"I will not blame the Indian side for buying energy from the Russians. What we expect is the clear positioning saying that we must adhere to international law," he said.
The German ambassador's comments came in the backdrop of growing disquiet in the Western countries about India repeatedly abstaining from votes condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its increasing purchase of crude oil from Moscow.
