Ashish Ranjan
India not going to end relations with Russia: Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, conveyed the American perspective on India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The senior US diplomat for the region emphasised that the United States does not believe India will end relations with Russia in the near future and hopes India will use its influence with Russia to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
While briefing reporters on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming trip to India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, the senior US official made these remarks. In response to a question about the three nations being among the 32 nations that abstained from voting on Russia-Ukraine on Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly, Lu stated, “It is evident to us that the countries of Central Asia and India have had long and complex relations with Russia.”
Lu added, “I don’t believe they will terminate these ties any time soon, but we are discussing the role they can play in this conflict.”
India abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution that emphasised the urgency of attaining a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace” in Ukraine in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. Reaffirming the United States’ support for Ukraine, the official stated that it is crucial for the international community to define the principles of the UN Charter’s value.
Lu stated, “We may not always share the same approach on Ukraine, but I believe we share the objective that this conflict be resolved in accordance with U.N. charter principles.”The top U.S. diplomat stated, “We expect India will use its influence with Russia to support an end to this conflict.”
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India assumed the presidency of the G20 on 1 December.Blinken will travel to New Delhi on March 1 to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The meeting will focus on strengthening multilateralism and deepening cooperation on food and energy security, sustainable development, counter-narcotics, global health, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, gender equality and women’s empowerment.
