India has finally broken its silence on the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine. India, on Friday, has said that it has been following the developments of the matter closely and further added that it calls for a peaceful resolution to the matter.
According to Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, India has been closely monitoring the situation relating to Ukraine including the high-level discussions that are ongoing between the United States and Russia. He also mentioned that the Indian embassy in Kyiv is also following the local developments and that India calls for a peaceful resolution to the situation through sustained diplomatic efforts which will be suitable for Shringla and the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. India is concerned about the Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian borders which has evoked fears of invasion. During the phone call discussion, a broad range of issues was discussed which included the buildup of the Russian military on the borders of Ukraine and regional issues, as stated by the US State Department.
India’s ambassador to Russia Pavan Kapoor also spoke to S.V. Vershinin, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, on Thursday, about the upcoming presidency of Moscow at the United Nations Security Council next month.
The reaction by India came shortly after the President of the United States, Joe Biden warned off of a distinct possibility of a military attack on Ukraine by Russia next month. Any military action by Russia on Ukraine will most probably involve the United States as well. It will have an adverse effect on India as we have strategic relations with both the US and Russia as well. As per the statement by the White House, President Biden’s comments on the attack by Russia were conveyed during the phone call with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
Biden has also reaffirmed the readiness of the US along with its allies to respond decisively if Ukraine is invaded by Russia. Biden also told Zelensky that the US is exploring additional macroeconomic support to help the economy of Ukraine amidst pressure resulting frlong-term peace and stability in the region and beyond.
The matter also came up in the discussions between Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan om the Russian military buildup. The United States has threatened Russia with more economic sanctions over the situation. The Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, earlier this week, made a statement stating that it is the obligation of the West that is handling the Ukrainian Regime to ensure that Kyiv adheres to the Minsk Agreements that were signed in 2014 and 2015.
The sanctions on Russia by the US can be disastrous for New Delhi as it is on the verge of the completion of the purchase of S-400 missiles from Moscow. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine, earlier this week, asked all the Indians living in Ukraine to register themselves so that the information can be disseminated to them in a swift manner.