U.N. chief Guterres says he fully supports PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark to Russian President Putin

“I think that what Prime Minister Modi said to Russian President Putin that this is not the time for war is absolutely true,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that he fully supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is “not an era of war”, emphasising that all efforts towards creating conditions for a solution to the Ukraine conflict under the U.N. Charter and international law will be “very much welcomed”.

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Speaking to PTI here ahead of his visit to India, Mr. Guterres also said he is “very concerned” with escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war, “especially when escalation causes a large number of civilian victims, obviously it only worsens what is already a very difficult situation”.

Russian President Putin ordered a “special military operation” against Ukraine on February 24. The raging conflict has further heightened economic stresses, especially on food and energy.

“I think that what Prime Minister Modi said to Russian President Putin that this is not the time for war is absolutely true. No time is the time for war. But this time in particular is not the time for war. So, I fully support that,” Mr. Guterres said.

 “And of course, all efforts that can be made in order to create conditions for a solution, a solution in respect of the U.N. Charter and international law, will be very much welcome,” Mr. Guterres said ahead of his three-day visit to India starting Tuesday.

This is his first visit to the country since he commenced his second term in office in January 2022. Mr. Guterres had earlier visited India in his first term as the U.N. Chief from October 1-4, 2018.