Collateral consequences of Ukraine conflict including fuel price affecting Global South: India tells UNGA

United Nation, Sep 5: India has voiced regret over the Ukraine conflict's collateral consequences, including prices of fuel, saying countries of the Global South have been left to fend for themselves, as Delhi underscored that diplomatic efforts hold the promise to end the war and bring lasting peace.

India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. We maintain that the loss of innocent lives is unacceptable, and no solution can be found on the battlefield, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Thursday.

Addressing the UN General Assembly debate on The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine', Harish said India continues to "note with regret that the collateral consequences of the conflict, including prices of fuel, is affecting the world at large and particularly the countries of the Global South, which have been left to fend for themselves. From our perspective, it is critical that their voices are heard, and their legitimate concerns duly addressed". Underscoring that the wholehearted participation and commitment of all stakeholders are critical for lasting peace, India told the UN General Assembly that it welcomes the "recent positive developments" in this direction.

Harish said Delhi endorsed last month's summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and voiced appreciation for the progress made at the summit. We also note the subsequent diplomatic efforts by the US president in engaging with Ukrainian president and European leaders in Washington Harish said.

We believe all these diplomatic efforts hold the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and opening up prospects for a lasting peace. Three days after rolling out the red carpet for Putin for the summit meeting in Alaska, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and seven other European leaders - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte - in the White House.