India has said that the ongoing tensions and the evolving developments relating to Ukraine can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
As New Delhi abstained from the procedural vote ahead of the United Nations' Security Council first meeting to discuss ways of de-escalating the Ukraine crisis on Monday, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations T S Tirumurti said "quiet and constructive diplomacy" is the need of the hour.
"We have been closely following the evolving developments relating to Ukraine, including through ongoing high-level security talks between Russia and the United States, as well as under the Normandy format in Paris," said Ambassador Tirumurti.
"India's interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond. We have also been in touch with all concerned parties," he added.
India said that increased tension may best be avoided by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security.
"More than twenty thousand Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us," said Tirumurti calling for the peaceful resolution of the situation.
Making a similar call, the United Nations political affairs chief told the Security Council today that any military intervention by one country in another would be against international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as Moscow denied any intention of launching a war on that neighbouring State.
"The Secretary-General has made clear that there can be no alternative to diplomacy and dialogue," said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, during a public meeting of the 15-member organ on the recent military build-up along the border with Ukraine.
Monday's meeting was requested by the United States, whose representative argued that the Russian military build-up along Ukraine's borders constitutes a threat to international peace and security.
The Russian Federation's delegate strongly opposed holding the meeting, saying that positioning troops within its territory is a domestic matter, not a threat to global stability.
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