Quad Leaders Discuss Ukraine Issue, India to Fund Treatment of Student Who was Shot in Kyiv

India on Friday said Indo-Pacific remained the core focus of the Quad even if the situation in Ukraine was discussed at a meeting of the leaders of the coalition. Leaders of the Quad Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and their Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida held a virtual meeting on Thursday that saw a discussion on the Ukraine crisis.

A joint readout released by the White House said the Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine besides assessing its broader implications. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing that it is natural for leaders, having such good rapport among themselves, to discuss topical issues when they meet.

As you saw from the readouts, Ukraine was discussed naturally. But let me just emphasise the Indo-Pacific remains the core focus of the Quad’s agenda and you will see that coming in terms of positive activities, initiatives and efforts all four countries are making, he said. Bagchi said the message at the meeting was very clear that although there is a crisis in Ukraine, all four countries were trying to take forward the agenda of the Quad that was firmed up at an in-person summit of the leaders of the coalition in Washington last September.

From our perspective, while of course there’s a very serious situation…in Ukraine, it’s not as though challenges in other parts of the world have vanished, he said. In the Indo-Pacific, the challenge is there and the agenda that the leaders of these four countries have signed up to, that is…Indo-Pacific being at the core of the Quad’s agenda is something that they want to push ahead with, he said.

In his remarks at the virtual meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy in defusing the crisis in Ukraine. They (Quad leaders) agreed to stand up a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine, the joint readout stated.

It said the Quad leaders agreed to meet in person in Tokyo in the coming months. An Indian statement said, Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. The prime minister emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Modi underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and he also reiterated the importance of adhering to the United Nations Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, it said.

Govt to Fund Injured Student’s Treatment

The government has decided to bear the medical expenses of Indian student Harjot Singh, who is recovering at a hospital in the Ukrainian capital city Kyiv after sustaining bullet injuries, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. On February 27, 31-year-old Singh, along with his two friends, boarded a cab for the western Ukrainian city of Lviv in a bid to escape Kyiv. He received four bullets, including one in the chest. Singh is a native of Delhi.

We are aware of the case. Our embassy is in touch with them (family). He is currently I think in a hospital in Kyiv, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said. We are trying to ascertain his exact medical status, including his readiness to be able to move, Bagchi said and hoped that India will be able to bring back Singh and others, who were left behind somehow.

Bagchi also said three transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force carried relief materials for Ukraine on Friday as part of India’s humanitarian assistance. The first aircraft carrying six tonnes of materials headed for Romania while the second plane left for Slovakia with nine tonnes of supplies. The third aircraft transported eight tonnes of supplies to Poland, he said.

India sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance comprising medicines and other relief materials to Ukraine via Poland on Wednesday. India decided to provide the aid to help people crowding along Ukraine’s borders to exit the war-torn nation.

Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here