India Condemns Bucha Killings At UNSC, Backs Probe
The India Commentary view
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First publised on 2022-04-06 03:20:24
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The India Commentary view
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India finally took a strong stand against the Bucha killings in the UN Security Council. It "unequivocally" condemned the killings and backed the call for an independent investigation. This is welcome. Despite Russia calling the discovery of mass graves "monstrous forgery", it is clear that the Russians are guilty of war crimes and India could not have remained silent.
But the international order at the UN and other bodies is such that those with veto power can block majority decisions. Russia has been doing that against all resolutions since the war started in Ukraine. This has not helped the international cause and has also led Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to tell the UN to act swiftly or wind up.
It is clear that Russia and Vladimir Putin had underestimated Ukraine. Although Russia knew that Nato will not get directly involved, it could not gauge the strength of resistance the Ukrainians would put up. Hence, Russia has not been able to meet even its 'limited' objectives in more than a month now. It has become a prestige issue for Putin now and since Russia cares little about international laws, it is not likely to stop the war.
Hence, it is upon the international community - and India can take the lead due to its excellent relations with Moscow - to think of diplomatic ways to end the war. The people of Ukraine are suffering and civilians are getting killed in the larger battle between a superpower and a strategic military alliance backed by another superpower and other Western nations.
