With a string of Western leaders making a beeline for India to discuss the Ukraine crisis, trying to convince it to change its position on the issue, New Delhi has made it clear that its stand on the Ukraine conflict remains unchanged. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval told all the visiting leaders and diplomats from the western countries like the US, the UK, and Germany over the last few days that India wants the problems between the two warring nations to be resolved amicably through diplomacy and dialogue.
Highly-placed sources told The Daily Guardian that the leaders from different western nations were told that India’s stand should not be misconstrued as its support for Russian action against Ukraine or it should not be seen as a neutral approach. “On the contrary, India always called for an immediate halt to military actions and stressed on resumption of dialogue and diplomatic efforts,” said sources who are privy to meetings at South Block and Hyderabad House. “India is not simply seeking dialogue but it has also been giving messages to the Ukrainian and Russian leaders to give diplomacy a chance from time to time,” the visiting leaders were told.
British foreign minister Liz Truss met her counterpart Jaishankar Thursday evening with a wider diplomatic push on the war in Ukraine. According to sources, the UK Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of all countries including India reducing strategic dependency on Russia “at this time of global insecurity”. “She wanted all the countries including India to work together to deter aggressors,” sources said, adding, “the message from Truss was that the UK wants India to collaborate with other countries to resist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by reducing the country’s reliance on Moscow.”
“Jaishankar stuck to India’s same position, saying that our interest is in finding a diplomatic solution that could result in de-escalation of tensions,” sources said. The EAM discussed the Indo-Pacific issues with his British counterpart. Sources say that the message given to the visiting British minister was that India believes in pursuing its strategic autonomy and independent foreign policy.
This is exactly what S. Jaishankar told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during telephonic talks late Wednesday night, sources added. Blinken spoke to Jaishankar to review the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine and to promote free and open Indo-Pacific. Sources said “Jaishankar reminded Blinken of how India has been highlighting these issues for a long time now”. “India’s thrust has always been on ending violence so as to avoid a humanitarian crisis,” Jaishankar reportedly told Blinken.
All the ministers and diplomats from the US, the UK, Germany and other European countries who visited India in the last few days were given the same message on New Delhi’s stand vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict.
Sources said that the western leaders wanted India to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the multilateral forums like the UN. What they are also upset with is India buying Russian commodities at a discount, says a diplomat. But all their efforts met with India reiterating its stand that it took at the United Nations on several occasions.
Security and Foreign Policy Adviser to the German Chancellor, Jens Plotner was another important official from the western country. He held a detailed discussion on the Ukraine crisis with NSA Doval. The NSA reiterated India’s consistent approach for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. “The German diplomat was apprised of India’s commitment to the UN charter and the principles of respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all States,” sources said.
The US Deputy NSA for International Economics, Daleep Singh, who also visited India, was given the same message vis-à-vis the Indian stand on the Ukraine situation. Significantly, Daleep Singh is one of the main architects of the US sanctions against Russia.
With the West being apprised of India’s position on the Ukraine situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also landed in India after finishing his visit to Beijing on Thursday. “Welcoming the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov as he arrives in New Delhi for an official visit,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. Lavrov will hold meetings with Jaishankar and other leaders and officials in New Delhi on Friday. Lavrov’s engagements will take place just a day after his UK counterpart and the US Deputy NSA leave India. This will be the first high-level visit from Russia since the Ukraine invasion. Lavrov is expected to discuss payments for oil purchase apart from the larger issue of its actions in Ukraine.