Being with Russia means being on the wrong side of history, and Kiev wants closer and deeper ties with New Delhi, Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzaparova said on Tuesday.
In a speech at a leading think tank, Dzhaparova said that Ukraine’s relations with Pakistan are not directed against India’s interests and that her country’s military ties with Islamabad began about three decades ago.
Referring to the war in Ukraine, the deputy foreign minister said that as a global leader and the current chair of the G20, India can play a bigger role in bringing peace and hoped that Indian officials would visit Kyiv soon.
“To be with Russia, we say this again very frankly, is actually to be on the wrong side of history. To support Russia means that it is in an evil visionary picture of the world,” she said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian minister said that India is witnessing visionary changes and may take some time to build new relations with Ukraine and that ties should be based on a “pragmatic and balanced approach”.
“I think the proposition I’ve brought here is to have a better and deeper relationship with India. And that requires reciprocity. We’ve knocked on the door, but it’s also up to the homeowner to open the door,” she said.
Russia is a “time tested” partner of India. New Delhi has yet to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and insists the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.
Ukrainian minister visit to India:
Dzhaparova’s visit to India is the first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched an invasion of the Eastern European country on February 24 last year.
The visiting Deputy Minister interacted with Foreign Minister Meenakashi Lekhim before her address at the Indian Council on World Affairs (ICWA).
In a tweet, Lekhi said she and Japar exchanged views on bilateral and global issues of common concern, with cultural ties and women’s empowerment also featured in the discussion.
“Ukraine has been assured of increased humanitarian aid,” she said. Džaparová described the meeting as “fruitful”.
“She briefed the minister on #Ukraine’s efforts to fight unprovoked Russian aggression. They discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially in culture,” she said.
Responding to a question from journalists about China’s aggressive behavior towards India, Dzhaparova said that any aggression that could challenge the territorial integrity of any country is of great concern.
At ICWA, she said that Ukraine’s relations with Pakistan are not directed against India and that her country is ready to overcome the pages of history and build new relations.
“The relationship with Pakistan is never directed against the relationship with India. I know that military contracts are somewhat sensitive, but let me be clear that we have had contracts since the 1990s,” she said.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also invited National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to visit Ukraine.
“India can play a bigger role. We respect the decisions of sovereign countries. India is also building relations with other countries. It’s up to you to decide, it’s up to you to benefit from it,” Japarova said, adding that Ukraine wants to expand ties with India.
“I am here with one very important message that Ukraine really wants India and Ukraine to come closer. Yes, we have different pages in our history, we have Soviet heritage…we are also happy to welcome Indian leaders and officials in Kyiv,” she said.
Dzaparova said the war in Ukraine showed that Russia’s military capabilities are not sufficient and that its tanks can be “destroyed with one artillery shot”.
The Deputy Minister said that Ukraine is ready to share important military technologies and expertise with India.
She also referred to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and said she called for a non-violent struggle for rights.
“Our president keeps saying that we have to fight for our rights without trampling on the rights of others. India has a lot in common with Ukraine in many ways. There is huge and untapped potential in our bilateral relations. It’s just a start in our dialogue,” she said .
In response to a question, Dzaparova said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would like to speak at the G20 summit in India. Zelenskyy spoke at the G20 summit in Bali via video conference.
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