New York: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized India’s status as a great power capable of determining its own national interests and partnerships, during a press conference at the United Nations on Wednesday. Lavrov criticized what he described as unjustified international pressure on New Delhi due to its energy cooperation with Moscow.
“I think India is a great power that sets its own national interests, determines its own national interests, and chooses its own partners. And we know that India is being subject to enormous pressure, completely unjustified pressure in the international arena,” Lavrov stated.
His remarks were made in response to inquiries regarding Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Moscow and the opposition faced by India over its energy collaboration with Russia. Prime Minister Modi’s visit on July 8-9 for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit marked his first trip to Russia since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.
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During Modi’s visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed dissatisfaction, particularly in light of recent military actions in Ukraine. Zelenskyy criticized Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing an attack on a children’s hospital in Ukraine allegedly carried out by Russian forces.
“It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Zelenskyy remarked regarding the Modi-Putin meeting.
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Responding to Zelenskyy’s comments, Lavrov described them as insulting and noted that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had addressed the matter with the Ukrainian ambassador.
“The ambassadors were really behaving as if they were hooligans,” Lavrov remarked about certain Ukrainian diplomats.
“So I think India is doing everything right,” Lavrov concluded.
