Ukrainian soldiers take part in a military exercise outside the city of Rivne in northern Ukraine, Wednesday, February 16, 2022.
Highlight
- Russia clarified its stand on the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine.
- It blamed the West and said it wanted a ‘war’ with Russia.
- Meanwhile, the US said Washington would be relieved if Russia did not invade Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russia clarified its stand on the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council. It blamed the West and said it wanted a ‘war’ with Russia. “The only goal of the West is to organize a war. If it is not so, the puppet government of Ukraine would have been forced to implement the Minsk Agreement long ago. Since this is not happening, we can say that the West is with Russia wants war”, it said.
“Yesterday the Vice President of Ukraine said that there would be no new legislation on the special status of the Donbass, therefore there would be no direct agreement. He also acknowledged that no pressure has been exerted on him by the West to implement the Minsk Agreement” , Russia said at the UNSC.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would be relieved and would happily accept any criticism if its predictions of a Russian invasion of Ukraine did not materialize. Western countries, led by the US, allege that a Russian offensive against Ukraine is imminent.
“If Russia does not invade Ukraine, we will be relieved that Russia has turned its back and proved our predictions wrong,” Blinken told the UN Security Council on Thursday. “We will gladly accept any criticism that anyone directs at us,” he said at the UNSC. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to meet in Europe “next week” on the Ukraine crisis.
India’s stand on Russia-Ukraine
Speaking on the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, India said that calm and constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour and any steps that escalate tensions can be avoided by all parties in the larger interest of achieving international peace and security.
Making India’s statement at the UN Security Council on the Minsk-II Agreements, Permanent Representative of the UN TS Tirumurti said that the issue can be resolved only through diplomatic dialogue.
He said India welcomes the ongoing efforts for the implementation of the ‘Minsk Agreements’, including those under the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy format.
Read also: Russia’s attack on Ukraine possible in ‘the next several days’: Biden; Moscow responds
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