On Thursday, India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said that the Ukraine crisis could only be solved through diplomatic dialogue to get to an immediate de-escalation of tensions while making sure that the legitimate security interests of all countries are taken into consideration.
The position of India had been outlined by the nations’ permanent representative to the United Nations, TS Tirmurti during the security council briefing on the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine. He reiterated India’s call for all the concerned parties to avoid any steps that can raise the tensions and urged all the sides to focus on quiet and constructive diplomacy to resolve the issue.
In the past, India had refrained from criticising Russia, being its strategic partner, on the issues of the border with Ukraine in the wake of assertations by the United States and its allies about the likelihood of invasion of Ukraine by Russia. After the statement was made by the Indian envoy at the United Nations Security Council, the President of the United States said that the threat of an invasion by Russia is still very high. President Biden also said that the door to diplomatic solutions remains open for Russia.
Tirumurti also said that India had been in touch with all the concerned parties and added that it is India’s considered view that this issue can only be resolved through diplomacy. He also said that India’s interest is in finding a solution that might provide for the immediate de-escalation of tensions between both countries taking into consideration the legitimate security concerns of all countries and it was aimed towards the securing of peace in long-term and stability in the region and beyond.
Tirumurti stated that the priority for India is the well-being of over 20,000 Indian students who are studying and living in different parts of Ukraine, including its border areas where tension is very high. He concluded his speech by saying that India is reiterating its call for the peaceful resolution of the situation by sustained and sincere diplomatic efforts to make sure that concerns of all sides are resolved amicably through constructive dialogue.
This statement by the Indian permanent representative at the UN Security Council was seen as a nod to Russia’s demand for ceasing the eastern enlargement of NATO and a guarantee that Ukraine will never be allowed to join the alliance. India had made no reference to the shelling across the front in the Donbas region on Wednesday, unlike all the other members of the Security Council, over which the pro-Russian rebels and Ukraine have offered conflicting accounts.
India refrained from commenting on the topic of the Russian Parliament’s vote on Tuesday to recognise the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk as people’s republics in Ukraine citing them as independent nations. Tirumurti said that India believes in a solution that can be found under the Normandy format and the Minsk Agreements which can provide a basis for a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the current situation in Eastern Ukraine. The Normandy format talks also involve Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and France. The Minsk Agreements were finalised in 2014 to put an end to the conflicts in the Donbas region.
