It’s the same “territorial integrity of all countries” that the head of China’s diplomacy Wang Yi had assured that China would ask for respect, when he met in New York with his Ukrainian counterpart a few days earlier. “The priority is to facilitate peace negotiations”said the Chinese minister on the occasion of the UN General Assembly, pleading a “peaceful resolution of the crisis”. Until then, however, China had sometimes been accused by the West of having adopted an overly conciliatory position vis–vis Moscow, with whom it had come closer in recent decades to forming a common front in the face of United States influence. Union.
Meanwhile, India’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, appealed from the same platform to “dialogue and diplomacy”. “When the conflict in Ukraine rages on, we are often asked which side we are on. And our response, every time, is direct and honest. India is on the side of peace and will stand firm there.”, he stated. Since the beginning of the conflict, New Delhi has refused to take a frontal position against Russian attacks, as Russia is the main supplier in the field of defence, notes RFI. Unlike China, he has good relations with the United States, and is also concerned that Moscow will grow closer to Beijing.
Vladimir Putin has found himself under pressure from his partners, especially China and India, during the recent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an organization built as a counterweight to Western influence. Beijing and New Delhi have expressed concern or doubt about the war in Ukraine. “I know this is not the time for war”said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.