A Ukrainian national flag flies over the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Highlight
- The European Union (EU) has kept India in the loop regarding its assessment of the situation in Ukraine
- S Jaishankar to travel to Europe this week to attend Munich Security Summit
- The situation in Ukraine is set to be mentioned in Jaishankar’s meetings in Europe.
The European Union (EU) has informed India of its assessment of the situation in Ukraine and the likely consequences for Russia if it invades the Eastern European country.
An EU official said on Wednesday that India is a “friend and partner” and that the 27-nation bloc is in constant touch with New Delhi over the Ukraine crisis and will do its best to explore all avenues to mitigate it. Trying “too much”. position through diplomacy and negotiations
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Europe this week to attend the Munich Security Summit and a ministerial meeting on the Indo-Pacific.
The situation in Ukraine is set to be assessed in Jaishankar’s meetings in Europe.
The official told a group of journalists that the EU stood with Ukraine and that a Russian invasion of that country would have “massive consequences”.
“We keep India as a friend and partner, convey our views and our assessment of the situation. What we want to convey is that all our efforts are directed towards dialogue, but we stand firm on our principles. which cannot be negotiated because they define the essence of Europe’s security architecture,” the official said.
“We have seen a huge concentration of troops and weapons and clearly a threat to Ukraine. Over the past seven years, Ukraine has faced other acts of aggression, the illegal annexation of Crimea and the situation in the Donbass. These are ground facts. are,” the officer said.
While the Munich Security Conference is to be held from February 18 to 20, the Indo-Pacific ministerial meeting is being hosted by France on February 22.
“What we are seeing is a future built on respect for the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and European security architecture,” the official said.
The official said attempts to “unilaterally redefine” the security framework in Europe are not acceptable because it would undermine the fundamentals on which European security is built.
“Violation of these principles would threaten peace and stability in Europe. Ukraine is a sovereign country and has the right to decide its future,” the official said.
The US has already sent additional troops to Europe to support its allies in the backdrop of fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has deployed nearly 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine in addition to sending warships to the Black Sea for naval exercises, raising concerns among NATO countries about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has been denying that it plans to invade Ukraine. It withdrew some of its forces from the border on Tuesday.
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