'India is a strong regional partner': Spokesperson of Ukraine's foreign ministry speaks to WION

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of throwing waves of men into battle in Bakhmut with no regard for their lives. The Ukrainian president said the fighting was "most difficult". Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in the conflict, while millions of Ukrainians have become refugees in the war which started last year in February.

Oleg Nikolenko, who is the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, weighed in on several issues as he spoke to WION. Here is the interview:

WION:How do you sum up the response by the international community to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?

Oleg Nikolenko:Ukraine is extremely grateful to the international community for providing military, financial, and humanitarian aid. But of course, as the war continues, this support is not enough. We do not want to be seen as a greater nation but as long as the fighting continues, Ukraine needs more support to repel Russian forces and liberate Ukrainian territories.

WION: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his intention to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping Xi. When is the meeting happening? Will the president travel to China or will it be at a neutral venue?

Oleg Nikolenko:Indeed president Zelensky expressed readiness to meet President Xi. But I am not in a position to talk more about it at this place. We have seen the Chinese position and we are analysing it. But we can say that what Zelensky has said is that it's a positive development. China has spoken out on the need to end the war and we look forward to Chinese action in this regard.

WION:Chinese foreign minister said they have been in communication with the Ukrainian side in the past as well. Do you see a change in Chinese side now with this peace proposal?

Oleg Nikolenko:I can say that while China prepared this, they didn't consult Ukraine and we learned about it a few days before through the media. We took note of it and as I said we are analysing, the most important thing is to see how words will be followed.

WION:Is there a meeting ground between China and Ukraine vis-a-vis the Russian invasion on the matter of Russia?

Oleg Nikolenko:President Zelesnky expressed his desire to meet President Xi. Ukraine has expressed its readiness even before FM Kuleba had several contacts with his counterparts. The last meeting took place in Munich of course Ukraine is seeking contact with the Chinese side. It is a positive development, China has spoken out and we want to see more actions.

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WION:US side has warned of a possible supply of arms by China to Russia. What does Ukraine believe and can china supply lethal arms?

Oleg Nikolenko:We have seen those media reports and we are extremely concerned about them. Our position with any military support to Russia which is launching an aggressive war against Ukraine will undermine the peaceful proposal.

WION:Under the current circumstance, G20 FM meetings and other engagements will be on. Do you think India as a G20 chair can be a key player in bringing a solution?

Oleg Nikolenko:I think the non-alignment position is not a key element in it. We are dealing with a war of aggression where a strong neighbour attacks a weaker neighbour. So I think India has a big role to play in this. I think G20 ministerial meeting is a good opportunity to call Russia to stop the war. We have seen a statement from the PM of India to end the war. We can only amplify that Russia must be called to end the war and peace can be restored.

WION:G20 FM is beginning in India. Key players like Blinken, Lavrov and others will be there, do you want to send any message to the group from this platform?

Oleg Nikolenko:We believe G20 can play a role to end the war but unfortunately as long as Russia is part of this group, it will be difficult to take concrete actions towards this goal. Yes, we have a lot of friends in this meeting and we expect serious discussion among them. We are looking for a concrete resolution following this meeting. I think the chances are very low.

WION:What are your expectations from India's side, not just as G20 chairperson but on a bilateral position, because they enjoyed good terms with the US and Russia? Do you have any expectations from India?

Oleg Nikolenko:We would welcome the proactive role of India in terms of calling Russia to end the war. I think the Russian war against Ukraine is not only Russia-Ukraine things. It's a violation of UN Charter and any country that believes in it, should stand with Ukraine. In this regard, we will welcome India's approach.

WION:What are your expectations from Pakistan as there are reports that Pakistan is sending arms to Ukraine through third countries? Will you confirm the report?

Oleg Nikolenko:Our practice is that we never confirm military cooperation unless the country wants to confirm by itself. I would like to direct this question to the Pakistan defence ministry. A few days ago, Zelensky spoke with Pakistan's leadership and they discussed ways to strengthen military cooperation. Ukraine is really interested to boost its cooperation with Pakistan but unfortunately, Pakistan abstained from the UN vote on February 23 where there was a resolution seeking lasting peace in Ukraine.

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