New Delhi [India], March 19: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday reaffirmed his position on India’s diplomatic approach regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that his earlier comments stood on their own and there was nothing more to add.
“The comments speak for themselves. Nothing to add,” Tharoor told.
Earlier, during a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue, Tharoor admitted to having “egg on his face” and conceded that India’s neutral diplomatic stance had positioned the country uniquely, allowing it to maintain friendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine, which have been at war since 2022.
“I am still wiping the egg off my face because I was one of the people who criticized India’s position back in February 2022,” Tharoor said.
In response to Tharoor’s remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya took a jab at Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, suggesting Tharoor’s comments would likely leave him “red-faced.” Malviya speculated that the Congress media department would need to clarify that Tharoor’s comments reflected his personal views and not the party’s official stance, despite Tharoor leading the party’s charge in Parliament on the issue.
“Shashi Tharoor has admitted he was wrong in opposing India’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. He acknowledged that India’s diplomatic balance has allowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage with both Ukraine and Russia without hostility,” Malviya tweeted.
Explaining the reasons behind his initial condemnation of the war, Tharoor said, “There was a violation of the UN Charter, the sovereignty of a member state—Ukraine—and the principles of inviolable borders and the inadmissibility of using force to settle international disputes. These principles were violated by one party, and we should have condemned it.”
However, Tharoor now recognizes that India’s diplomatic approach has allowed the country to foster relationships with both sides. “It does look like I am the one with egg on my face because India’s policy has enabled the Prime Minister to meet both the president of Ukraine and the president of Russia in just two weeks, maintaining acceptance in both places. This puts India in a unique position to help facilitate peace if required,” he added.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and since then, discussions about the war have continued globally. U.S. President Donald Trump has also been involved in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and an end to the “horrible war” as he stated on Truth Social.