Washington: The US State Department reportedly pulled a cable advising its diplomats to torch India and the UAE, both seen as US partners, for abstaining from UN votes to condemn the Russian invasion, saying their “position of neutrality” on Ukraine put them “in Russia's camp”. While the UAE changed tack and voted for the General Assembly resolution excoriating Russia after two abstentions during Security Council votes, India abstained from the third vote too, as did China.
The State Department said the cable was withdrawn because it included “inaccurate language and was released in error,” but US officials acknowledged “pitched battles” within the administration on India’s abstentions, ostensibly between hardliners who want to hold its feet to the fire, and those more inclined to accept New Delhi’s explanations for its vote: the fact that it needs the help of both Russia and Ukraine to extricate its 20,000 citizens, mostly students, from Ukraine; and its long-standing (but diminishing) legacy dependence on Russian arms supply, considered crucial particularly in view of tensions with China.
In fact, New Delhi has pushed back against the impression in some quarters that its abstaining constitutes being in Russian camp, pointing out that it has stood up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries involved - an implicit criticism of Moscow crossing the red line.
The State Department acknowledges that. “India has expressed its deep concern over the situation in Ukraine and has reiterated its call for immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities. As India has stated, ‘all member states of the United Nations are not only obliged to follow the UN Charter but to respect international law and territorial integrity and sovereignty of states’,” it said in a readout.
