Trajectory of Ukraine conflict a matter of 'profound concern' for international community: India


PTI | United Nations | Updated: 28-09-2022 20:58 IST | Created: 28-09-2022 20:58 IST
Trajectory of Ukraine conflict a matter of 'profound concern' for international community: India

The trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of ''profound concern'' for the international community, India has said, and called on all nations to work together to ensure that the conflict comes to an early end.

The UN Security Council Tuesday held a meeting on Ukraine (Russian illegal referenda) on the recent so-called referenda conducted in four Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj addressing the Council, referred to remarks made by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Council last week during the high-level UNGA session and said that the ''trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the international community.'' She stressed that the need of the hour is to end this conflict in Ukraine and return to the negotiating table.

The conflict has already resulted in the loss of countless lives and miseries for the people, particularly for women, children, and the elderly, with millions becoming homeless and forced to take shelter in neighboring countries, she said adding that "Let us all work together to ensure that this comes to an early end." Kamboj reiterated that India has repeatedly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the need to resolve the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

"This was also stated unequivocally by Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi during his meeting with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Tashkent," she said adding that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states.

Modi had told Putin on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan's Samarkand that ''today's era is not of war".

Kamboj said India's approach to the Ukraine conflict will continue to be human-centric.

''On our part, we are providing both humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and economic support to some of our neighbours in the Global South under economic distress, even as they stare at the escalating costs of food, of fuel and of fertilizers – which has been a consequential fall out of the ongoing conflict," she said.

The UN's political affairs chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, told the Security Council that the so-called "referenda" were just conducted by de facto authorities in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

"Ukrainians were asked whether they approved their regions joining the Russian Federation. Voting took place in polling centers. De-facto authorities accompanied by soldiers also went door-to-door with ballot boxes," DiCarlo said. "These exercises, which began on 23 September, have been held during active armed conflict, in areas under Russian control and outside Ukraine's legal and constitutional framework.

''They cannot be called a genuine expression of the popular will. Unilateral actions aimed to provide a veneer of legitimacy to the attempted acquisition by force by one State of another State's territory, while claiming to represent the will of the people, cannot be regarded as legal under international law," DiCarlo said.

Last week, underlining Modi's assertion to Russian President Putin that this cannot be an era of war, Jaishankar had told the UN Security Council that the need of the hour is to end the conflict in Ukraine and return to dialogue and diplomacy and said the nuclear issue is of particular anxiety.

"The trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the entire international community. The future outlook appears even more disturbing. The nuclear issue is a particular anxiety," Jaishankar had told the 15-nation UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine 'Fight against impunity'.

The briefing, chaired by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, was held Thursday as world leaders gathered in the UN headquarters for the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Addressing the Council briefing were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly and Foreign Ministers of other UNSC members.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Give Feedback