External affairs minister S Jaishankar said India’s foreign policy is not sitting on the fence, just because its policy may not be agreeable to some other countries. “I am not sitting on the fence just because I don’t agree with you. It means I am sitting on my ground,” the foreign minister said taking part at GLOBESEC, talking about Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific. The statement came as the foreign minister was asked about New Delhi’s stance on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and whether India can afford to be sitting on the fence as an emerging world leader.
“This idea that I do a transaction that I come in one conflict because it will help in conflict 2- that’s not how the world works. A lot of our problems in China have nothing to do with Ukraine, Russia. They are predated,” Jaishankar said as he was asked on whether India expects global help in its situation with China.
There are a lot of issues where Europe did not speak, the foreign minister said. “Europe has to get out of the mindset that Europe’s problem is the world’s problem but the world’s problem is not Europe’s problem,” the foreign minister said adding, “Today linkages being made between China and India and what’s happening in Ukraine. Come on guys, China and India happened way before Ukraine. I do not see this as a clever argument.” All big challenges facing the world have their solutions coming from India some way or the other, Jaishankar said.
On being asked whether India buying Russian oil is not funding the ongoing war, Jaishankar said, “Look I don’t want to sound argumentative. But then buying Russian gas is not funding the war? It’s only Indian money and Russian oil coming to India funding the war and not Russia’s gas coming to Europe not funding? Let’s be a little even-handed.”
Replying to a question from a journalist on India ‘ignoring’ Russia-Ukraine war, Jaishankar said India condemned Bucha killing and sought an investigation. “In terms of what is happening with the Ukraine conflict our stand is very clear that we favour an immediate cessation of hostilities. It’s not that we have ignored it unless you call phone calls to Putin and Zelensky as ignoring something.”
