UNSC: Jaishankar takes tough stance on Russia, targets Beijing as well
Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday hit out at Russia and China without naming them as speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on Ukraine. This was one of his most savage statements about Russia over the past seven months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In recalling Premier Narendra Modi’s insistence on Russian president Vladimir Putin that “this cannot be an era of war”, Jaishankar said: “Let me stress that even in times of conflict there is no reason for violations of human rights or international law. When such crimes occur, it is essential to investigate them in a fair and impartial way. This is exactly the approach we took in the aftermath of the murders that occurred in Bucha and that is the same position we follow now. This Council will also remember that we had subsequently backed the need for an independent investigation regarding this incident. Bucha event.”
He also said in his remarks that the “nuclear issue is a particular anxiety” amid the context of Putin’s deceitful threat to nuclear options.
In mention of Beijing’s move to obstruct the list of terrorists, Jaishankar declared: “The fight against impunity is crucial to the greater goal of securing justice and peace. In the end, the Security Council must send an unambiguous, clear, and unambiguous message regarding this issue. The use of politics should never be a cover needed to avoid accountability. Also, it should not be used to promote impunity. Unfortunately, we’ve seen recently in this chamber, in the case of sanctioning certain of the world’s most terrorists that are shunned by the world. If the most heinous crimes that are committed in the open remain unpunished, the Council must rethink the messages we send regarding impunity. We must have consistency for us to have credibility.”
The session, presided over by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, was attended by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, UK Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly and foreign ministers of the other UNSC members.
In the last month, China stopped a suggestion made by the United Nations by the US and co-backed by India to declare Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack and the Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist.
As of August China has put on hold a request that was made by both China, the US as well as India to block Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, a top leader of the terrorist group based in Pakistan. Abdul Rauf, born in 1974 in Pakistan was banned from America in the month of December. The US in December of 2010.
In June of this calendar year, China placed a stop, at the last minute, to a plan by India along with the US to put terrorists from Pakistan Abdul Rehman Makki under the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
Concerning the current situation on the ground in Ukraine, Jaishankar said: “The direction that is taking place in the Ukraine conflict is an issue that is deeply troubling for all of the world community. The future prospects are more troubling. The nuclear issue has been a source of a specific source of worry.”
“In the globalized world, the effects of conflict is felt in remote regions. We’ve all had to deal with the consequences of it in terms of rising costs as well as actual shortages of foods, fertilizers, and fuel. In this regard, there are reasons to be concerned about the future that is in store for us. The south of the world, in particular, suffers intensely. It is therefore imperative to avoid initiating actions that will further aggravate the already strained global economy. this is the reason India insists on immediately ending all hostilities and an immediate return to diplomacy and dialogue. As Prime Vice-President Narendra Modi has emphasised, this is not a time of conflict. For our part, we provide aid to the humanitarian needs of Ukraine as well as economic assistance to our neighbors who are in financial distress.”
He stressed his belief that the “need of the hour is to end this conflict in Ukraine and return to the negotiating table”. “This Council is the most influential symbol of diplomacy today. It is required to live up to its goals. The global order, to which we all ascribe is founded upon international law and the UN Charter as well as the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. These are also principles that must be respected, and without exception,” he said.
