New Delhi: India on Thursday said the situation in Ukraine can be resolved only through diplomatic dialogue that leads to an immediate de-escalation of tensions while ensuring the “legitimate security interests of all countries”.
New Delhi’s position was outlined by TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, during a Security Council briefing on the situation in Ukraine. Tirumurti reiterated India’s call for all parties to avoid any steps that increase tension and to focus on “quiet and constructive diplomacy”.
India has refrained from any criticism of the actions of Russia, a key strategic partner, on the border with Ukraine in the face of repeated assertions by the US and its allies about the likelihood of a Russian invasion. Shortly before the Indian envoy made his statement at the UN Security Council, US President Joe Biden said the threat of a Russian invasion is “very high” though the door to a diplomatic solution remains open.
“India has been in touch with all concerned parties. It is our considered view that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue,” Tirumurti said.
“India’s interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond,” he added.
Tirumurti said a priority for India is the well-being of more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals who “live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas”.
{{/usCountry}}Tirumurti said a priority for India is the well-being of more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals who “live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas”.
{{/usCountry}}“In conclusion, we reiterate our call for the peaceful resolution of the situation by sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts to ensure that concerns of all sides are amicably resolved through constructive dialogue,” he said.
The reference in the Indian permanent representative’s statement to the “legitimate security interests of all countries” and “concerns of all sides” was perceived as a nod to Russia’s demands for halting the eastern enlargement of NATO and a guarantee that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the military alliance.
Unlike other members of the Security Council, India made no reference to shelling across the front in the Donbas region on Wednesday, over which Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels offered conflicting accounts, or the Russian Parliament’s vote on Tuesday to recognise the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” in Ukraine as independent nations.
Tirumurti said India believes a solution can be found through dialogue under the Normandy format and the Minsk Agreements, which provide a basis for a “negotiated and peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine”.
The Normandy format talks involve Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France, and the Minsk Agreements were finalised in 2014 to end fighting in the Donbas region.
He said the meetings under the Normandy format will facilitate implementation of provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including key security and political aspects.
“In this context, we welcome the recent meetings of political advisers of Normandy format countries in Paris and Berlin. We also welcome the unconditional observance of the July 2020 ceasefire, the reaffirmation of ‘Minsk Agreements’ as the basis of work under the Normandy format and the commitment of all sides to reduce disagreements on the way forward,” he said.
Speaking ahead of Tirumurti, US secretary of state Antony Blinken highlighted the threat of Russian aggression against Ukraine on the basis of some pretext, while the representative for the UK dismissed reports that Russia had withdrawn some of its troops from areas close to the Ukrainian border.