India has credibility to be mediator in Ukraine war: Ex-British PM David Cameron

Britain’s former Prime Minister David Cameron. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday (October 21, 2024) said India has the credibility to play the role of a mediator in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Mr. Cameron’s remarks at the NDTV World Summit here came a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a visit to Russia for the BRICS Summit.

“India has the credibility to be a mediator in the Ukraine war,” Mr. Cameron said, referring to PM Modi’s visit to the Ukraine recently to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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Mr. Cameron said any role that can be played to bring this conflict to an end would be welcome. “But it must be done in a way that recognises Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence,” he said.

“India might be in a position to mediate but it has to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to take territory by force,” Mr. Cameron said.

The former British Prime Minister also made a strong pitch for the expansion of the U.N. Security Council and a permanent seat for India at the high table. “There is a need for a reset because the world has changed ‘hugely’ since the institutions were set up after the Second World War,” he said.

“You see the rise of India, which will probably become the world’s largest economy at some stage in this century. So, obviously, we need a reset and countries like India should be at its heart,” he said.

Mr. Cameron said that changing the multi-lateral institutions would take a long time, and it was good to see India take its place in institutions such as the Quad and the G20.