As the United Nations Security Council is predicted to take up a draft decision condemning Russian invasion within the early hours of Saturday, India is caught in a diplomatic bind between the Western powers, led by the US, and its strategic imperatives vis a vis Russia.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar late Thursday night time had telephonic conversations together with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, insisting that dialogue and diplomacy are one of the best ways ahead to defuse the Ukraine disaster. As Russian troops reached the gates of Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba referred to as Jaishankar and shared his “assessment” of the state of affairs.
On Friday, Ambassadors of European nations in India received collectively in New Delhi and expressed solidarity with their Ukrainian counterpart and strongly condemned Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified” army assault on Ukraine. Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto stated the EU and its member states stand in solidarity with Ukrainian Ambassador to India Igor Polikha.
Speaking to The Indian Express Thursday, Polikha stated Kyiv is “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s place. “I don’t know how many world leaders (Vladimir) Putin would listen to but the status of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji makes me hoipeful.”
All this has added to New Delhi’s diplomatic problem. More so given the wording of the UN draft decision moved by the US and Albania.
According to a US State Department official in Washington DC, the decision condemns, within the strongest phrases attainable, “Russia’s aggression, invasion, and violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. It reaffirms the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. And it requires the Russian Federation immediately, completely, and unconditionally to withdraw its forces.”
This formulation has pushed New Delhi right into a diplomatic nook a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his name to Russian President Vladimir Putin, appealed for “an immediate cessation of violence”however averted echoing the refrain of Western outrage.
US President Joe Biden stated that his administration is in “consultations with India”, however that “hasn’t been resolved yet” – signaling the gulf between New Delhi and Washington on the difficulty.
Biden additionally stated: “Putin will be a pariah on the international stage. Any nation that approves of Russia’s open aggression against Ukraine will be tainted by association.”
While Russia, which holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of February, will preside over it, and is for certain to veto the decision, it would take a look at India’s place: which aspect of the divide will it take — or will it abstain just like the final time.
On January 31, India had abstained on a procedural vote on whether or not to debate the difficulty of Ukraine. India had then articulated its place on “legitimate security interests” that echoed with a nuanced tilt in the direction of the Russian place, and had abstained together with Kenya and Gabon.
This assertion was made on the UNSC assembly on Ukraine, the place Russia and China tried to dam discussions whereas 10 UNSC members — together with US, UK and France — voted in favor of the dialogue. The UNSC had gone forward with the discussions, as 10 nations — it wanted 9 sure votes — voted in favor of the discussions.
But this time, it’s not nearly a procedural vote, it is on a extra substantive situation on which sturdy phrases of condemnation – “blood on (Putin’s) arms – have been stated.
When requested about India, Brazil and UAE not condemning Russia’s actions, the US official stated, “There’s now a decision that’s being placed on the desk, and I believe each member of the Council goes to must determine the place they stand. As (US ambassador to the UN) Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been saying, this isn’t the time to sit down on the fence. And I believe we’ll see over the approaching days the place members of the Council are on this elementary query about sovereignty and territorial integrity, and I believe you will see Russia remoted and held accountable earlier than the remainder of the world within the Security Council. “
Sources stated this was the moot level of the calls between Blinken and Jaishankar. According to the US State Department, Blinken spoke with Jaishankar to debate Russia’s “premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified” assault on Ukraine and “stressed the importance of a strong collective response to condemn Russia’s invasion and call for an immediate withdrawal and ceasefire”.
In his talks with Lavrov, Jaishankar conveyed to him that “dialogue and diplomacy” are one of the best ways ahead to defuse the disaster.
,
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
