India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, T S Tirumurti, on Friday gave a stern response to the ambassador of Karel van Oosterom, the Netherlands to the United Kingdom, over his comments on India's stand on the Ukraine war. Responding to India's statement at the UN security council meeting, the Dutch envoy took to Twitter and said that India “should not have abstained in the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.”
“You should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter,” the Dutch envoy wrote on Twitter to T S Tirumurti.
In response to this, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador said, “Kindly don't patronize us. We know what to do.”
Also read: If India has chosen any side, it's that of peace: Envoy on abstention at UNGA
{{/usCountry}}Also read: If India has chosen any side, it's that of peace: Envoy on abstention at UNGA
{{/usCountry}}Speaking at the UN security council, India condemned the killing of civilians in Bucha and supported the call for an independent investigation. "India remains on the side of peace", T S Tirumurti underlined.
He also shared his full statement on Twitter. “At the UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine this afternoon, I made the following statement,” he wrote.
Since January, India has abstained on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council over the Russia-Ukraine war.
In March, India abstained from the UN General Assembly on a resolution by Ukraine and its allies on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. India had aid that the focus should be on the cessation of hostilities and on providing urgent humanitarian aid.
Later in April, India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over the civilian killings in Ukraine.
Also read: Ukraine war: Women, children invariably suffer most in any conflict, says India
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24 - three days after it recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. The war between the two countries has now entered its 10th week. Thousands of people have been killed with no specific number as of now. Millions of people have also been forced to flee the war-torn country.
(With inputs from PTI)