French President Emmanuel Macron told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was right when he told Russia that this is not the time for war.
“It is not for revenge against the West, or for opposing the West against the east,” Macron said. “It is the time for a collective time for our sovereign equal states. To cope together with challenges we face.”
Modi had met Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 16 during the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand.
“Today’s era is not of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call,” Modi had told Putin. “Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India and Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades.”
On Tuesday, Macron said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which started on February 24, signifies “a return to the age of imperialism and colonies.
He added,“France rejects this. France, obstinately, will look for peace.”
Macron urged the assembly members to reject Russia’s actions so that its aggression in Ukraine ends.
On Wednesday, Macron hosted a high-level meeting in New York which was attended by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They discussed impact of Ukraine conflict and its implications for the world.
Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg who met with Jaishankar on Wednesday also discussed the Ukraine war. “The main topic was the war in Ukraine and its consequences,” Schallenberg told Hindustan Times. “Our divergences are less large than people believe. India’s voice is important on Ukraine. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public message to Putin was heard and is important.”
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