Opposition MPs slam Centre's neutrality on Russian invasion of Ukraine: 'Disappointing'

As Russia invades Ukraine, Opposition leaders slammed the Centre for not taking a position on the issue at the UN Security Council inspite of Ukraine's call for help. Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed Centre for not condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin for his attack. Russian troops are inching closer to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, killing over 137 civilians and military personnel.

Opposition slams Centre for remaining neutral in Ukraine war

Tharoor said, "Ukraine's request to India to intervene in the matter is completely understandable. Our stand has been that we do not support invading other countries and regime change through violence & war. Russia is a friend and there could be some legitimate security concerns but for India to go suddenly silent on it will be seen as a disappointment by Ukraine and its friends".

Similarly, Tewari pointed out that even Russians are denouncing the Russian invasion, asking 'Why can't India take an unambiguous position?". Stating that 'friends' (Russia) too may have to be told when they are wrong, Tewari questioned 'How can India expect solidarity if it was in a similar situation?'. Chaturvedi too slammed India for seeking Ukraine's help for the evacuation of our people, while it was under attack. However, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has called for 'defunding the UN' after its message to Ukraine has been "you're on your own".

India on Russia-Ukraine war

Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India will wait to see the final shape of the UN Security Council resolution on the Ukraine situation before taking a position. "We will wait to see the shape that this resolution takes before we can pronounce ourselves in the position that we will take on this issue," Shringla said at a media briefing in response to a media query. India is also prioritising evacuating over 20,000 Indians (mainly students) from Ukraine, with PM Modi urging Putin to stop the violence and resolve Russia's issues with NATO via diplomatic negotiations.

Russia invades Ukraine

For weeks, Moscow has massed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in a bid to pressurise Western nations to not allow Ukraine to join NATO, threatening an invasion. On Thursday, Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region, which quickly accelerated into precision airstrikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, deployed tanks towards Lviv from the Belarus-Ukraine border. The Russian Navy is attacking from the shores of Mariupol and Odessa and troops have taken over Chernobyl nuclear plant. He warned foreign powers of 'consequences as never seen before' if they intervene in the Ukraine conflict. With Zelenskyy ordering martial law and full Army mobilisation, over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled while many nationals including Indians are stuck in Ukraine after Ukrainian airspaces were shut down. Russia has already annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and recently recognised two rebel regions of Ukraine (Luhansk and Donetsk) as independent.