new Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday rejected allegations of being ‘war profiteers from New Delhi’ over the purchase of subsidized Russian oil and said India tried to calm the situation around Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and Moscow And quietly helped in the grain deal between Russia. Kyiv. EAM Jaishankar also described the cap on the price of Russian crude as a “Western decision” that was taken “without any consultation with India”, adding that New Delhi would never back down on the matter. Will not sign what others have cooked.
Responding to a question on the Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar in an interview with Die Press newspaper in Austria indicated India’s readiness to contribute towards de-escalation of the situation. “If we can help, we are ready. And we have already helped – for example, very quietly on the grain deal. We also tried to defuse the situation around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant,” They said.
Jaishankar was asked whether he sees India’s role as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. The External Affairs Minister was on a four-day visit to Austria which ended on Tuesday. Following a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in August, there were serious global concerns about its safety, with both Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the attacks. Later, a team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the site.
The grain deal was sealed in July after months of negotiations to facilitate the export of millions of tonnes of wheat, corn and other grains, mainly from Ukraine. The deal was considered important to address food shortages in many countries.
Asked whether the main role of mediator has already been with Turkey, Jaishankar said: “No, but it is not a question of who gets credit as a mediator and gets headlines for it.” Jaishankar strongly rejected such a view when asked about India’s energy imports from Russia at subsidized prices and whether India is benefiting from not engaging in Western sanctions.
“I strongly deny – politically as well as mathematically – that India is a war profiteer. Oil prices have doubled as a result of the Ukraine war,” he said in the interview published on Monday. Jaishankar said the oil market is also driven by sanctions against Iran or what is happening in Venezuela. “In such a situation, it makes diplomatic and economic sense to look around the market for the best deal. Will Europe pay more if it doesn’t have to?” He asked.
Europe imported about USD 120 billion worth of energy from Russia after the war broke out, Jaishankar said. This is six times more than what we bought. When the interviewer pointed out that Europe had reduced its Russian energy imports while India has increased its purchases,” Jaishankar hit back.
“Why is that? When Europe reduces its imports from Russia, it has to go to other oil markets. And those markets have been our main sources. If you take away my food, what am I going to do?” ? Starving,” he asked. ,
On Russian oil price cap, the foreign minister said, “It was a Western decision without consultation with us. Every state has the right to decide. But we will never automatically sign what others have prepared.” ” Last month, major Western countries announced plans to cap the price of Russian oil at USD 60 a barrel to prevent Russia from profiting from its war on Ukraine.
Asked about the relevance of the price cap for India, he said it would depend on its impact on energy markets. “No one knows at the moment. So, if prices keep rising, the rest of the world will express what they think.”
Jaishankar said it is difficult to say whether the Ukraine war is shaking the international order or not. “But there is a clear psychological effect in Europe, forced to deal with a conflict in close proximity after a long time. What’s more, there has always been a European-Asian dichotomy in Russia,” he said.
“But this double-headed eagle always looked more towards Europe than Asia. Russians always saw themselves as Europeans. In the wake of the Ukraine War, this orientation may have shifted to Asia. Its geopolitical implications are,” he said.
Asked why India did not support the resolution in which UN member states overwhelmingly condemned the invasion of Ukraine, Jaishankar said each state judges events according to its “location, interests and history”. Is.
He added, “Even in Asia there are events, where countries in Europe or Latin America do not feel the need to take a position. What happened in Ukraine is closer to Europe.” “Europe has a different history with Russia than India. We also have different interests in Ukraine than yours. Almost all states will say they support the principles of the UN Charter. But the world of the last 75 years See: Have all UN members really always followed the UN Charter and never sent troops to another country?” He asked.
Asked about the rise of China and whether its projected rising power poses a major challenge to the Indo-Pacific region, Jaishankar said no region will be stable if it is dominated by a single power. He said, “The more India grows, the greater our economic weight and political influence, and the better it is not only for us but also for the world. Not only the world order but also Asia must become multipolar.” He said, “No region can be stable if it is dominated by a single power. The essence of international relations is that states must come together and strike a balance.”