While addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Ukraine conflict on Tuesday, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), T.S. Tirumurti, “unequivocally” condemned the “deeply disturbing” reports of “civilian killings in Bucha” and called for an “independent investigation” into the allegations against Russian forces.
Following Russia’s military retreat from Kyiv and surrounding regions, Bucha gained international attention as crimes committed by the Russian forces were made public. Describing the atrocities committed in Bucha in the UNSC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that civilians had been “crushed by tanks, women were raped and killed in front of their children,” calling it just one example of Moscow’s “cruelty” and violation of the UN Charter.
Ukrainian officials said that they found dead bodies with their hands tied behind their backs in Bucha, claiming that Russian troops executed over 400 civilians. Previously, Zelensky called the atrocities in Bucha “genocide.” Several Western powers, such as the United States (US), Canada, and Germany, even called upon Russian President Vladimir Putin and the military’s actions to be tried as war crimes. However, the Kremlin has dismissed these reports as “fake” and fabricated by Ukrainian authorities.
#IndiainUNSC
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) April 5, 2022
📺Watch: Permanent Representative @AmbTSTirumurti speak at the #UNSC Briefing on the situation in #Ukraine ⤵️@MEAIndia @IndiainUkraine @IndEmbMoscow pic.twitter.com/TCSXK0YsaG
In response to these reports, Tirumurti pointed out that there has been no “significant improvement” in the Ukraine crisis since the UNSC’s previous meeting. In fact, he said that the “security situation” and their “humanitarian consequences” have deteriorated further in the past few weeks.
Furthermore, he urged “all member states of the UN” to remain committed to “international law [and the] UN Charter” and respect “territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.”
In the recent UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine️, I made the following statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/d4FZvKv06L
— PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) April 5, 2022
Thereafter, Tirumurti reiterated India’s call for international collaboration to send “humanitarian supplies,” including medicines and other necessary relief materials, to Ukraine and its neighbours. “Humanitarian action must always be guided by [the] principle of humanitarian assistance, [that is], humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence,” he added.
He went on to say that India is “deeply concerned” about the violence in Ukraine and continues to call for an “immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities.” Once against emphasising on the need to remain committed to “diplomacy and dialogue,” he took note of the meetings between Russia and Ukraine.
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India has previously raised “concern” about the Ukraine conflict and has called for respect for international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations. However, it has refused to describe the war as a Russian invasion or condemn Russia by name. India has also abstained from voting on resolutions in both the UN General Assembly and the UNSC that sought to condemn Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and called for a withdrawal of its troops. In fact, New Delhi has continued its trade relations with Moscow by purchasing discounted oil and is even considering a Rupee-Ruble exchange mechanism to bypass sanctions against Russian financial institutions.
In this respect, Tirumurti’s latest remarks represent the strongest public statement India has made on the issue and the closest it has come to criticising Russia’s actions.
Also Read: India’s Position on the Ukraine Crisis: All You Need to Know
However, while India “condemned” the violence in Bucha, it still fell short of specifically referring to Russia in its statement, unlike several Western countries. Moreover, official sources cited by The Wire said that supporting an independent probe does not indicate a “shift” in India’s position and merely echoes UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for the investigation.
At the same session on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that the Council remove Russia as a permanent member or dissolve the body in its entirety, delivering a scathing rebuke of the organisation’s inaction.