India's position on Ukraine ‘unsatisfactory’ but unsurprising, says US

The United States on Friday said India's position over Ukraine was ‘unsatisfactory’ but also unsurprising given its historical relationship with Russia, Reuters reported. "I think we would certainly all acknowledge and agree that when it comes to votes at the U.N., India's position on the current crisis has been unsatisfactory, to say the least. But it's also been totally unsurprising," Mira Rapp-Hooper, the director for the Indo-Pacific on the White House National Security Council, said at a panel discussion. The senior White House official's remark comes a day after external affairs minister S Jaishankar's statement on Ukraine. The minister said India's stand on Ukraine was based on six principles which included immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy and the global order being anchored on international law, the UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. On Thursday, India abstained on a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the humanitarian consequences of Russian invasion of Ukraine. “What we require now is to focus on cessation of hostilities and urgent humanitarian assistance. The draft resolution did not fully reflect our expected focus on these challenges,” TS Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the United Nations said on Thursday. This was the second instance of India abstaining on a resolution at the UN in two days. The United Nations Security Council resolution by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine had failed pass due to its failure to get the required nine yes votes. According to Rapp-Hooper, New Delhi had moved closer to Russia after its relationship with Beijing had worsened. "I think our perspective would be that the way forward involves keeping India close, thinking hard about how to present it with options, so that it can continue to provide for its strategic autonomy," she added. India is a member of the Quad alliance which also includes United States, Japan and Australia as other members. However, New Delhi is the only member which has not announced any sanctions on Moscow over its invasion in Ukraine which is underway since more than a month.India has developed close ties with Washington in recent years and is a vital part of the Quad grouping aimed at pushing back against China. But it has a long-standing relationship with Moscow, which remains a major supplier of its defense equipment. (Source: Hindustan Times)