No Victors In This (Ukraine) War, We Support Peace, Says PM In Germany

"We have insisted on a ceasefire and called for talks as the only way to resolve dispute since the start of the Ukraine crisis," PM Modi told reporters after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

"We believe that there won't be any winners in this war and everyone will lose, which is why we are in favour of peace," he said.

Besides the humanitarian impact on Ukrainians, pressure on oil prices and global food supplies is also "putting a burden on every family in the world," PM Modi said, but steered clear of condemning Russia over the invasion.

Germany's Scholz stressed that the war in Ukraine threatened the "rule-based global order". "Russia has jeopardised the fundamental principles of international law with its attack on Ukraine," he said.

Chancellor Scholz said he and PM Modi agreed that the "inviolability of borders" and "sovereignty of nations" must not be called into question.

"We thoroughly discussed that we want to achieve a better future -- not by fighting wars against each other but by making economic development possible together," said Mr Scholz.

The two governments later signed a joint declaration expressing "strong support" for upcoming talks between the European Union and India on a free trade agreement.

Chancellor Scholz also confirmed he had invited PM Modi as a special guest to a Group of Seven (G7) leaders' summit next month, seen as part of an effort to forge a broader alliance against Russia.

PM Modi and Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chaired the sixth India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations this afternoon. The two leaders held a one-on-one discussion before the delegation-level talks.

This was PM Modi's first meeting with Mr Scholz after he assumed the office of the Chancellor in December 2021.