India- Denmark Bilateral Talks : Both sides unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities

Picture : Twitter / ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the crisis, even as his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen hoped that India will use its influence over Russia to end the war.

Speaking to reporters in Copenhagen after bilateral talks, Modi said he discussed the Ukraine crisis and appealed for an ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine.

“We appealed for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and return to dialogue and diplomacy for resolving the crisis,” Modi said.

Frederiksen hoped that India will influence Russia on Ukraine and asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to ‘stop this war and end the killings’.

“My message is very clear that Putin has got to stop this war and to end the killings. I, of course, hope that India will influence Russia also in this discussion,” she said.

In a joint statement issued after the talks, the two prime ministers expressed serious concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

‘They unequivocally condemned civilian deaths in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They emphasised that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states,’ it said.

The two leaders also discussed the destabilising effect of the conflict in Ukraine and its broader regional and global implications and agreed to remain closely engaged on the issue.

Modi expressed the hope that the negotiations on the India-European Free Trade Agreement will be concluded as soon as possible.