India calls for ‘constructive diplomacy’ as Russia-Ukraine crisis escalates

India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti said that India has been in touch with all the parties concerned and remains hopeful of long-term peace and stability in the crisis-hit region and beyond.

UNITED NATIONS: Amid growing global concerns over a looming Russia-Ukraine war, India on Thursday appealed to all the sides to avoid taking any steps that may increase tension and called for resolving the issue through ''diplomatic channels.'' 

“Any steps that increase tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security. Quiet and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour,” India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti said while speaking at a UNSC meeting on Ukraine.

Any steps that increase tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security. Quiet and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour: India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meeting on Ukraine pic.twitter.com/TgstlTYliL — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2022

Tirumurti also said that India has been in touch with all the parties concerned and remains hopeful of long-term peace and stability in the crisis-hit region and beyond. 

“We reiterate our call for the peaceful resolution of the situation by sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts to ensure that concerns of all sides are amicably resolved through constructive dialogue,” India's Permanent Rep to United Nations said.

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 Indian nationals is of priority to us: India's Permanent Rep to United Nations TS Tirumurti, at UNSC meeting on Ukraine pic.twitter.com/cNqoDXkHiN — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2022

Clarifying India’ stand on the crisis, Tirumurti said, “New Delhi’s interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account legitimate security interests of all countries to secure long-term peace, stability in the region & beyond.”

He added that “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 Indian nationals is of top priority to the Government of India.’’

Trimurti’s remark came shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid out at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday how Washington believes Russian could seek to invade Ukraine, warning that Moscow was preparing to take such military action in the "coming days."

Blinken accused Russia of planning to manufacture a pretext for an attack on Ukraine that could include "a fake, even a real, attack using chemical weapons," and said, "Russia may describe this event as ethnic cleansing or a genocide."

"The Russian government can announce today, with no qualification, equivocation or deflection, that Russia will not invade Ukraine. State it clearly. State it plainly to the world, and then demonstrate it by sending your troops, your tanks, the planes back to their barracks and hangars and sending your diplomats to the negotiating table," Blinken said.

Blinken made an appearance at a meeting of the 15-member council on the Minsk agreements, which aim to end an 8-year-long conflict between the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country.

The meeting came amid high tensions after the United States accused Russia of deploying some 150,000 troops near Ukraine`s borders in recent weeks. Russia has said it has no plans to invade Ukraine and accuses the West of hysteria.

Blinken said US information indicated that Russian forces "are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days." He said he has asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to meet in Europe next week.

The UN Security Council has met dozens of times to discuss the Ukraine crisis since Russia annexed Ukraine`s Crimea region in 2014. It cannot take any action because Russia is a veto-power along with France, Britain, China and the United States.