New Delhi:
During an extensive podcast with American research scientist Lex Fridman, that touched upon geopolitics and current international issues of importance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about advocating for the role of peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In his podcast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the guest, Lex Fridman asked PM Modi his approach towards the process of peacemaking. Lex Fridman said, “You have spoken about, you have the experience, you have the skill, you have the geopolitical leverage to be the biggest peacemaker in the world today,..Can you maybe explain how you approach the process of making peace, helping make peace between two warring nations, for example, Russia and Ukraine?”
To this PM Modi highlighted that he comes and represents the land of Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, whose teachings, words, actions, and behavior are completely dedicated to peace.
“That is why culturally and historically, our background is so strong that whenever we speak of peace, the world listens to us, because India is the land of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi and Indians aren’t hardwired to espouse strife and conflict. We espouse harmony instead. We seek neither to wage war against nature, nor to foster strife among nations. We stand for peace and wherever we can act as peacemakers, we have gladly embraced that responsibility”, PM Modi said.
Speaking about India’s ties with Russia and Ukraine, PM Modi said, “I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike. I can sit with President Putin and say that this is not the time for war, and I can also tell President Zelensky in a friendly way that, brother, regardless of how many people stand with you in the world, there will never be a resolution on the battlefield. The resolution will only come when both Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table. Ukraine may hold countless discussions with their allies, but it will bear no fruit. Discussions must include both parties instead.”
PM Modi highlighted that how initially, it was challenging to find peace, but now situation has emerged which, “presents an opportunity for meaningful and productive talks between Ukraine and Russia”.
Highlighting how the impact of war has spilled onto the rest of the world, PM Modi said, “There has been a lot of suffering. Even the global south has suffered. The world has been grappling with a food, fuel and fertilizer crisis. So the global community should unite in the pursuit of peace”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his views and said, “As for me, I have always maintained that I stand with peace. I am not neutral. I have a stance and that is peace, and peace is what I strive for.”
Prime Minister Modi’s remarks to Lex Fridman come as headways are being made towards bringing peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he had “good and productive discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and hinted that the Russia-Ukraine conflict could “finally come to an end.”Trump said that he “strongly requested” Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian troops, or else it would be a “horrible massacre.”
Prime Minister Modi that for people the prudent choice is to let go of conlfict and move towards cooperation.
“I believe that modern wars are no longer just about resources or interests. Today I see so many kinds of conflicts happening. Physical battles often get discussed. Struggles are happening in every domain. International organizations that were once powerful have become almost irrelevant. No real reforms are happening. Institutions, like the UN, are failing to fulfill their roles. People, who disregard international laws and rules, continue to act freely, and no one can stop them. In such situations, the prudent choice for everyone is to let go of conflict and move toward cooperation. And a development-driven approach is the way forward. Expansionism will not work. As I’ve said before, the world is interdependent and interconnected. Every nation needs one another, no one can stand alone. And from all the different forums I attend, one thing is clear: Everyone is deeply worried about these conflicts. We can only hope that peace is restored very soon,” the PM said.
Lex Fridman’s podcasts have seen several personalities from various walks of life who have discussed issues ranging from complex niches to other areas of mass understanding.
Notable figures include political leaders like US President Donald Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei, as well as leading personalities in their fields, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Magnus Carlson, and Yuval Noah Harari.
His YouTube page has 4.8 million subscribers with over 82,00,00,000 views.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
