Washington: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has warned that military solutions cannot resolve global challenges and that diplomacy must be given a chance, as the wars in Ukraine and West Asia continue to disrupt energy supplies, threaten civilian shipping and put global trade under pressure.
Speaking at the first plenary session of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Jaishankar also flagged attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, stressing the need to uphold freedom of navigation and halt such assaults under international legal frameworks, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“Emphasised that in the face of global challenges, military solutions will not work and diplomacy must be given a chance,” Jaishankar said in a post on X, outlining his remarks at the meeting.
He warned that developing economies were being denied their right to industrialise through market flooding, the weaponisation of supply chains, restricted market access and artificial distortions.
“This must cease,” he said, calling for resilient alternative connectivity networks as international markets pursue de-risking and diversification.
Jaishankar also cautioned against allowing tactical calculations to overshadow the threat of terrorism. “It is a high-risk activity which has come back to bite even the practitioners,” he said.
Highlighting the impact on the Global South, Jaishankar said attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers were threatening the affordability and availability of fuel, food and agricultural nutrients. He also noted that at least 22 Indian nationals, including 14 seafarers, had lost their lives since the war in West Asia began in February this year.
The US said the meeting’s agenda included energy security, supply chains and keeping sea lanes open — issues of particular importance to India, which relies heavily on imports of oil, liquefied natural gas and fertiliser.
Jaishankar joined foreign ministers from the Group of 20 for the two-day meeting, hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also attended a meeting of the Quad, comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia, on the sidelines.
In his opening remarks, Rubio described the gathering as a “moment of choosing” for the United States and the world, citing interconnected economic and geopolitical crises.
“We are facing a series of interconnected economic and geopolitical crises, many of which pose severe threats to essential foundations of the global economic order,” Rubio said, pointing to disruptions in energy and food supplies, trade and freedom of navigation.
The meeting was also overshadowed by a dispute over the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Several European ministers had threatened to boycott the group photograph or walk out rather than stand alongside Lavrov, according to US officials.
Rubio scrapped the photograph because he believed the dispute would distract from the talks, two officials said on condition of anonymity. The meeting itself proceeded as planned.
Unease over Russia’s invitation had been growing, with some members questioning Moscow’s participation as its attacks on Ukraine intensified. The concerns also came after US President Donald Trump waived fresh sanctions on Russia and temporarily limited logistical and intelligence support to Ukraine, further straining Washington’s ties with Kyiv.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said European ministers would not pose with Lavrov and that there could be “no normality” with Russia. The UK said its policy of avoiding direct bilateral contact with Russian ministers since the invasion of Ukraine would remain unchanged.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called the cancellation “the right decision”, saying he was not alone in refusing to be photographed with Lavrov.
The meeting comes amid heightened concerns over the effects of ongoing conflicts on international stability, trade and maritime security.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)