New Delhi: Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine for over two months, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on Tuesday countered the criticism of India’s neutral stand on the crisis in eastern Europe, saying the western powers have been oblivious to the pressing challenges facing Asia including last year’s events in Afghanistan and the continuous pressure on the rules-based order in the region.
In an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar said the crisis in Ukraine could be a “wake-up call” for Europe to also look at what has been happening in Asia, saying it has not been an “easy part” of the world for the last 10 years.
To a specific question by Foreign Minister of Norway Anniken Huitfeldt on the situation in Ukraine, Jaishankar said India has been pressing for an urgent cessation of fighting and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue.
“I think where the conflict in Ukraine is concerned, we have a very clear position that has been articulated. A position which emphasises the urgent cessation of fighting, which urges a return to diplomacy and dialogue which stresses the need for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” he said.
“You spoke about Ukraine. I remember, less than a year ago, what happened in Afghanistan where an entire civil society was thrown under the bus by the world,” he said.
“I would say quite honestly, all of us would like to find the right balance of our beliefs and interests, of our experience, and that is what all really try to do. It looks different from different parts of the world. The priorities are different and that’s quite natural,” he added.
The minister was responding to a series of questions from his counterparts from Norway and Luxembourg as well as by former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt on the Ukraine crisis.
“Quite candidly, we have been hearing for the last two months a lot of arguments from Europe saying things are happening in Europe and Asia should worry about it because this could happen in Asia,” Jaishankar said.
“Things have been happening in Asia for the last 10 years. Europe may not have looked at it. So this could be a wake-up call for Europe, not just in Europe, it could be a wake-up call for Europe to also look at Asia,” he said.
The external affairs minister said it is not that problems are going to happen and that the problems have been happening in Asia.