- Thursday, May 09, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
Ukrainian first deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova on Tuesday (11) referred to India’s hostile neighbours such as China and Pakistan while trying to drive home the point that India should recognise the dangers of not stopping those who prefer to push agenda with “impunity”.
Speaking at Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), a government institute of national importance in Delhi that was set up exclusively to study international relations and foreign affairs, the Ukrainian diplomat said the events preceding the full-scale invasion of her country by Russian troops last year serve as an example of how to handle “difficult neighbours”.
“There is one message with which I have come to India. Ukraine really wants India and Ukraine to be closer. Yes, there is a history between us. But we want to start a new relationship with India,” she said, adding, “India also has a difficult neighbourhood with China and Pakistan. The Crimea episode has a lesson for India as well. Whenever impunity happens and if it is not stopped, it becomes bigger.”
Diplomatic corps, former envoys and reporters were present at the event where Dzhaparova, who arrived in India on Monday (10) for a four-day visit, said.
The Ukrainian minister’s remarks were seen as alluding to India’s territorial disputes with its two neighbours with which it has fought a number of wars.
India and China are currently witnessing tensions along their border in eastern Ladakh and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh where Chinese troops are often accused of changing the status quo despite de-escalation talks.
Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 while in 2016, Kyiv was certain that Moscow was planning a large invasion as president Vladimir Putin ordered troop build-up on its border and resumed hostile rhetoric that preceded the annexation of Crimea.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year and the war is still going on.
Dzhaparova, however, made it clear that Ukraine is not in a position to request India about how it runs its economic relations with other countries, in an apparent reference to New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow.
India has been buying cheap Russian oil — despite the west’s sanctions on Moscow — saying Indians’ need for affordable oil comes first before everything else.
Speculation is rife that one of the objectives of Dzhaparova’s visit to India is to explore the possibility of having Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky speak at the G20, the presidency of which is currently held by India.
Also calling India a “Vishwaguru” (world teacher), the diplomat said, “The message of any spiritual teaching is justice. But sometimes there are countries that choose war. India should play a bigger role”, according to NDTV.
