Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has acknowledged that he was left with “an egg on his face” for opposing India’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war when it began in 2022. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi on Tuesday during a session titled ‘Waging Peace: Looking Back to Look Ahead,’ the Thiruvananthapuram MP admitted that India’s approach has uniquely positioned it to contribute to fostering lasting peace.
“I am still wiping the egg off my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position at the time back in February 2022,” Tharoor said. At the time, he had condemned Russia’s actions and argued that India should have denounced the aggression for violating the UN Charter, the inviolability of borders, and the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Now, three years on, Tharoor acknowledged that India’s balanced diplomatic stance has enabled Prime Minister Narendra Modi to engage with both Ukraine and Russia without animosity. “Clearly, the policy has meant that India has a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president in Moscow two weeks apart and be accepted in both places,” Tharoor remarked.
He noted that India’s geographical distance from Europe and its long-standing commitment to neutrality have enhanced its credibility as a potential mediator. “India is in a position where it can make a difference to a lasting peace if it was so required in ways that very few countries would be able to,” he added.
Tharoor, a former Minister of State for External Affairs, also floated the possibility of India contributing peacekeepers if a negotiated peace between Russia and Ukraine is reached. He pointed out that since Russia has made it clear it will not accept European peacekeepers from NATO countries, alternatives outside Europe would have to be considered.
“If it were necessary and if there was an agreed peace, I think there would be some willingness to consider,” he said, emphasizing that he was sharing his personal opinion and not speaking on behalf of the government.
With inputs from PTI