India will not merely continue to reiterate its stand on the Ukraine conflict at the various forums and summits, but it will also adopt a more aggressive diplomacy and demeanour to defend its position on Moscow’s invasion of Kyiv.
“Those taunting or questioning India’s Ukraine stance will be given befitting and detailed replies directly or through diplomatic channels. But mere reiteration of stand will not suffice now,” highly-placed sources told The Daily Guardian.
“Encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘productive’ Europe tour that saw European leaders signalling ‘acceptance’ of New Delhi’s position vis-à-vis Moscow, India has decided to go ahead with diplomatic offensive to silence the critics of its Ukraine stance, no matter where they might be,” sources added.
“With wider acceptance of India’s position on Russian invasion being witnessed in the entire West including the US and the UK, the residual countries which still voice their criticism will be tackled diplomatically and isolated at the world stage,” sources said. However, India will not criticise anyone’s view on Ukraine.
“What we are expecting is that we should listen to each other’s perspectives on the war, without trying to create any pressure on each other,” an official said. “The leaders of Germany, Denmark and France listen to PM Modi’s views patiently, and put their points forward,” he added.
Now, diplomatic action has already begun at the United Nations. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti gave a stern response to Karel van Oosterom, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom on the latter’s comments on India’s stand on the Ukraine war. “Kindly don’t patronise us. We know what to do,” Tirumurti told the Ambassador of the Netherlands.
Responding to India’s statement at the United Nations Security Council meeting, the Dutch envoy had taken to Twitter, saying that “India should not have abstained in the United Nations General Assembly.” “You should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter.” These were comments of the Dutch ambassador on 5 May. “As a result, India’s Permanent Representative gave him the befitting reply, asking him not to patronise India as we know what we have to do,” sources said. “This is how Indian diplomats will now be giving strong messages to officials, diplomats and countries that try to be critical of India’s Ukraine stand,” sources added.
In another wider message carrying equally strong tone and tenor, Ambassador Tirumurti said that India outright condemned the killing of civilians in Bucha and supported the call for an in
dependent investigation. “India remains on the side of peace,” T.S. Tirumurti asserted. “What he suggested to the global community is that New Delhi is fulfilling its responsibilities as a mature democracy to quell the crisis,” a diplomat said.
According to sources, Indian diplomats will continue to point out contradictions and hypocrisy in the approach of such nations that try to raise a finger at India vis-à-vis Russian invasion. The detailed response will be given to them diplomatically. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has already set the tone by calling out the “hypocrisy” of such states in the West.
“In fact, Jaishankar is leading from the front as far as aggressive diplomacy is concerned,” an official told The Daily Guardian. In what palpably embarrassed the European countries, S. Jaishankar, while defending India’s Ukraine stance a few days ago had said that the European Nations and Western Powers had been completely oblivious to the developments and challenges Asian nations faced.