Russian lawmakers on Tuesday gave President Vladimir Putin permission to use military force outside the country. The unanimous vote in Russia’s upper house on Tuesday could presage a broader attack on Ukraine after the United States said an invasion was already underway there. The vote formalizes a Russian military deployment to the rebel regions, where an eight-year conflict has killed nearly 14,000 people. On Monday, Moscow had decided to recognize the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
In response, US President Joe Biden late on Tuesday announced sanctions on Russia during an address to the nation, and vowed to impose more sanctions if Russia escalates. Biden said that the United States will send more troops to defend Ukraine, adding: “We will defend every inch of NATO territory.” Biden, however, said: “We have intention of fighting Russia.” Biden said that the US will implement sanctions on Russian sovereign debt, adding that Rusia can’t raise funds from the West. Biden also said that he has authorised additional forces and equipment to bolster the Baltics.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday accused Russia of wrecking peace efforts and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his country. “…we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one,” Zelenskiy said. Also, calling Putin’s actions a blatant violation of Moscow’s international commitments, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order blocking trade and investment in the regions.
Meanwhile, Germany has taken steps to halt the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, as the West started taking punitive measures against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.
Earlier, concerned over the escalating tension along the border of Ukraine with Russia, India had on Tuesday strongly emphasized the need for all sides to exercise the utmost restraint and intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure for a mutually amicable solution, even as the Indian embassy in Kyiv again advised students to leave Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted on Tuesday saying: “President Putin has violated Ukrainian sovereignty and international law by sending troops into eastern Ukraine. We will immediately institute a package of economic sanctions targeting Russian economic interests.” Johnson on Tuesday announced that the United Kingdom would impose sanctions on five Russian banks and three Russian entrepreneurs over Moscow’s decision to recognize the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The White House, too, called Russian moves on Ukraine a “beginning of invasion”, setting the stage for strong sanctions. The United States is in close contact with Germany on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and welcomes its decision to halt certification of the project following Russia’s recognition of the self-proclaimed Donbas republics as independent, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, four more flights are operating from India to Ukraine as the government of India is keeping safety and security of over 20,000 citizens as the top priority. Apart from these, three special Air India flights are flying between Tuesday and Saturday. An Air India plane carrying around 240 Indians from Ukraine landed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday night. The flight AI 1946 landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here at around 11.40 pm. It took off from the Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv at around 6 pm (Indian Standard Time). The airline operated a Boeing 787 aircraft, which had left for Ukraine in the morning.
Earlier in the day, Air India flight AI 1947 took off from the national capital at around 7.30 am and landed at Boryspil International Airport at around 3 pm (IST). In a tweet at about 9.46 pm, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said around 250 Indians and students belonging to various states are returning from Ukraine to Delhi tonight. “More flights in the coming days to help Indians return,” he said.
India’s statement was made at the UNSC in the backdrop of Russia’s recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. The United States and allies requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Russia’s recognition of separatist territories in Ukraine as independent. Speaking on the UNSC briefing on developments in Ukraine, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, T.S. Tirumurti said that the escalation of tension along the border of Ukraine with the Russian Federation has the potential to undermine peace and security of the region.
Tirumurti called for restraint on all sides and said: “It is in the interest of the world community that all sides maintain peace and security by exercising the utmost restraint and intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure a mutually amicable solution at the earliest.”
“The immediate priority is 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 said.
The Indian representative emphasized that this issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue. “We need to give space to the recent initiatives undertaken by parties which seek to diffuse tensions. In this context, we welcome the intense efforts underway, including through the Trilateral Contact Group and under the Normandy format. We need all parties to exert greater efforts to bridge divergent interests. We cannot afford to have a military escalation,” he said.
Underlining the importance of the Minsk Agreements, Tirumurti said: “We need greater efforts to find common ground to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including key security and political aspects.” “As we have time and again emphasized, constructive diplomacy is need of the hour to avoid scaling up of tensions,” he added. Tirumurti reiterated that the safety and security of civilians are essential to India. “More than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. The well-being of Indians is of priority to us.” He lastly asked all sides to intensify diplomatic efforts to reach for an amicable solution at the earliest. “In conclusion, we strongly emphasize the vital need for all sides to maintain international peace and security by exercising the utmost restraint,” he added.
The Indian embassy in Kyiv on Tuesday again advised students to temporarily leave Ukraine rather than wait for an official confirmation from universities amid the growing tensions in the region. The Indian High Commission in Ukraine in a statement said, “In view of the continued high level of tensions and uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, additional flights are being organized. Scheduled flights between India and Ukraine of Air Arabia, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways, among others, will also continue their usual operations on the route.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called for ensuring peace and resolution of the contentous issues through talks in the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia. Speaking in Ballia after addressing a rally, Singh said, “As far as the Ukraine issue is concerned, India only wants peace in the region and issues should be resolved through talks only.” Expressing confidence that there could be a solution if US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin hold talks, he said, “If they talk, then I am confident that some solution will definitely be found.”
(WITH INPUTS FROM MAYANK KUMAR IN NEW DELHI)