External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday listed six principles to explain India’s response to the Ukraine crisis, which included the immediate cessation of violence, return to dialogue, diplomacy and humanitarian access.
Responding to a question about the war in Ukraine in Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar said that India’s stance regarding the issue is based on six principles. “Our own position on Ukraine concern is very clear, based on six principles – immediate cessation of violence, return to dialogue and diplomacy, global order anchored on international law, UN charter, territorial integrity, humanitarian access. India is sending humanitarian assistance while being in touch with the leadership of Russia, Ukraine,” he said.
Further responding to a question about the growing relations between Russia and China, Jaishankar said that the government was aware of the changes in international relations.
Earlier, Jaishankar had informed that 147 foreign nationals hailing from 18 countries were evacuated from Ukraine as part of ‘Operation Ganga’ and brought to India.
“In line with India’s principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, foreign nationals were also evacuated from conflict zones and brought to India. They included 147 citizens of 18 countries. Many Ukrainian nationals that are family members of Indian nationals have also been evacuated,” Jaishankar said in a statement in the two Houses of Parliament on ‘Situation in Ukraine’.
He also said that as tensions escalated, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine started a registration drive for Indians in January and as a result, around 20,000 Indians registered. “Most Indian nationals were students pursuing medical studies in Ukrainian universities dispersed throughout the country,” he said.
The Centre assured the Rajya Sabha that all aspects linked to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, including impact on trade, are being examined by a group of different Ministries led by the Union Finance Ministry.
“…Because of the emerging problems in dealing with Russia, our government is examining various aspects, including the payment aspect. There is a group within the government composed of different ministries. It is led by Finance Ministry to examine these matters,” said Jaishankar while replying to a supplementary question asked by Shiromani Akali Dal leader Naresh Gujral during Question Hour.
Gujral asked: “For many years India had a policy and we used to do rupee trade with Russia. Is the government thinking on those lines so that our exports are not hurt and we continue to import from Russia?”
Jaishankar then clarified that India imports very little oil from Russia. “It is less than one per cent of our imports. And many other countries import 10, 15, 20 times…” Jaishankar said.
Replying to another supplementary query of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha, the Minister said that India is very clear on its policy “which is very much guided by our belief that the international border must respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state.”
“At the same time, what is happening in our neighbourhood is obviously in our attention. There is a lot of development taking place and we are monitoring them carefully,” he said.
Noting that India had a robust policy from 1947 onwards whenever territorial integrity or sovereignty is violated anywhere in the world, Jha had asked: “Are we in sync with the same kind of policy as far as our statement is concerned on the Ukraine-Russia issue? Are we (India) watching realignment in our immediate neighbourhood?”
When BJP leader Swapan Das Gupta had asked: “Is this going to have any negative impact on some of our (India’s) closest allies? Jaishankar said “our (India’s) position is for peace”.
“When the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) spoke to (Russian) President Putin three times and he spoke to (Ukraine) President Zelensky two times, the intent at that time was to evacuate Indian students as it was a very big issue. But there was also a larger conversation about what we could do to lead to encourage a secession of hostilities and return to diplomacy and dialogue,” the minister said.
In New York, India abstained from voting on a Russian-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council over a Ukraine humanitarian situation, which has been widely criticized for not referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
India and UAE joined the West in abstaining from the resolution that failed at the UNSC meeting with only Russia and China voting in favour and the remaining 13 members abstaining. “Russia is the aggressor, the attacker the invader, the sole party in Ukraine, engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine. And they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability,” US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the UNSC.
“It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created,” Greenfield noted.
“If Russia cared about the humanitarian situation, it would stop bombing children and end their siege tactics. But they haven’t,” Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council after the vote.
China, the only country to support Russia by voting in favour of the resolution, stated UNSC should play its role in the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations told the Security Council members that the vote in favour was a call to the international community to prioritize the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
The Russian Resolution, which made no reference to Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis, called upon all parties concerned to allow safe and unhindered passage to destinations outside of Ukraine, including to foreign nationals without discrimination, and facilitate safe and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in need in and around Ukraine, taking into account the particular needs of women, girls, men and boys, older persons and persons with disabilities.
A Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, Britain, France or the United States to be adopted.
Meanwhile, speaking at inaugural St. Stephen’s MRF distinguished alumni annual lecture, Jaishankar said that India’s foreign policy helped during the evacuation of Indian nationals under Operation Ganga in Ukraine, Operation Devi Shakti in Afghanistan and Vande Bharat mission during COVID pandemic.
“Think for a moment as an Indian student happened to be still in Ukraine on February 24, 2021 — concerned about your education prospects — you have now found yourself in the middle of the serious conflict and it’s not just you, it’s 20,000 more of your fellow nationals and there are at the same time, millions of Ukrainians who are trying to get out of the country. Internal travel is itself dangerous and complicated. The borders are overcrowded due to ingestion and in highly impacted cities — there is even the physical danger of just stepping out in the open due to shellings.”