India on Friday signalled there was no change in its position on Ukraine, again abstaining from a vote on a US-initiated resolution in the UN Security Council against Russia for the “referendum” that allowed President Vladimir Putin to “annex” four regions of Ukraine.
The resolution against the illegal referendum and annexation could not be passed as Russia expectedly exercised its veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council. India was among four countries that abstained, the others being China, Brazil and Gabon.
Explaining India’s vote, New Delhi’s permanent representative to the UN in New York, Ruchira Kamboj, reaffirmed the position India has held since the conflict began in February, belying the western interpretation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “today’s era is not of war” remark to Putin.
Modi had made the remark last month when he met Putin in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Some western capitals had sought to project his comment as a nuanced shift in India’s position although the external affairs ministry has maintained that this has been India’s consistent position. Kamboj referred to the Prime Minister’s much quoted remark to Putin while underscoring that dialogue was the only way out.
Calling for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities, she said: “Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment. The path to peace requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open.”
Stating that Modi had unequivocally conveyed this in his discussions with world leaders, Kamboj said India hoped for an early resumption of peace talks to bring about an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict.
“India’s position has been clear and consistent from the very beginning of this conflict. The global order is anchored on the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all states,” she said.
Kamboj stressed the need to find pathways to return to the negotiating table, and said that any escalation of rhetoric or tensions would be in no one’s interest.
Apart from a fear of further escalation, India is wary about the fallout of the disruption to supply chains, felt most acutely so far by the global South, with many countries dependent on Russia and Ukraine for food and fertilisers. Besides, there’s been the cascading impact on energy prices.
