NEW DELHI: India’s permanent representative to the UN T S Tirumurti and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar have called the Bucha massacre deeply disturbing and asked for an independent probe. However, this isn’t likely to influence their
position in the UN when it comes to taking a stand against Russia.
The 10th session on Ukraine is likely to take place on Thursday. India has abstained nine times in the past and is likely to take the same stand this time around too.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield had said that Washington would seek suspension of Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. She also said that the US was in close coordination with Ukraine and other member states at the UN to propose the exclusion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Sources say that this is likely to come up for discussion on Thursday. India, which has abstained nine times on the vote on the Ukraine crisis, is likely to abstain again this time too.
"India will wait to see how the draft is worded, and based on that will decide their response," says an expert on India in the UN.
India has not voted against Russia so far and this stance enabled them to get safe passage for over 22,500 Indians stuck in Ukraine. Also, India is now buying nearly 10 million tonnes of crude (6 million confirmed from oil marketing PSUs and 4 million under negotiations from private companies in India) from Russia at a discounted rate of $20 per barrel.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent visit to Delhi indicated that India-Russia ties are meant to stay. He was also supportive of India’s stand on the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through dialogue. The West (read US) has also acknowledged that India will need Russia’s support for crude oil.
So, despite India voicing its angst against the Bucha massacre, their stand for a session against Russia in the UN is unlikely to change.