‘Need to de-escalate soon’: After Modi, Xi calls for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire at Brics Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for the de-escalation of conflict between Ukraine and Russia as he addressed the Brics Summit in Kazan.

“We need to push for the situation to de-escalate as soon as possible,” Jinping said in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Brics leaders.

Stressing the need to strengthen Brics, the Chinese leader said since the world has “entered a new period of turbulent change”, the group has to emerge as the “guardian of common security.”

During his separate meeting with Putin on Tuesday, Jinping assured China’s steadfast support to Russia, saying that the two countries have entered a “new era” of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world.

During his address, the Chinese president also mentioned the conflict in West Asia and said, “We need to push for a ceasefire.”

Putin welcomes mediation in Ukraine war

Meanwhile, Russia’s Putin, who hosted the summit this year, welcomed the mediation efforts offered by Brics leaders to bring an end to the Ukraine war.

Many countries “expressed a desire to contribute more actively” to resolving the conflict, state media cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

In private talks with other leaders, Putin also highlighted “the very positive dynamics on the front for the Russian armed forces,” Peskov said.

‘Want dialogue, not war’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Brics address reiterated the importance of dialogue to bring the conflict to an end.

“We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war,” PM Modi said.

Earlier during the day, the Indian prime minister discussed the Ukraine war with Xi, Putin and other Brics leaders.

On the eve of the Brics Summit, PM Modi told Putin that he wanted peace in Ukraine and that India was ready to help achieve a truce to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War 2.

Modi also called for a unified action against terrorism. “To deal with terrorism and terror financing, we all have to cooperate firmly with one voice. There is no place for double standards on such a serious subject. We must take proactive steps to prevent radicalization among the youth of our countries. We have to work together on the pending issue of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the UN,” he said.