TS Tirumurti slams Dutch envoy over Ukraine remark: 'Don't patronize us'

India's Permanent Representative to the UN TS Tirumurti has slammed the Netherlands Ambassador to the UK after the envoy said that India should not have abstained in the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

This comment came after United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a briefing on Ukraine on Thursday.

In response to remarks made by India at the UNSC briefing, Netherlands Ambassador to the United Kingdom Karel van Oosterom said, "You should not have abstained in the General Assembly. Respect the United Nations Charter."

Tirumurti was quick to respond to the Dutch envoy and said, "Kindly don't patronize us, Ambassador. We know what to do."

India has, since January, abstained on procedural votes and draft resolutions that were critical of Russian aggression against Ukraine in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India on various international forums has taken a consistent position on the issue.

India has called for a complete cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and for pursuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a humanitarian disaster with over 5 million people fleeing the country apart from civilian deaths and military casualties for both Ukraine and Russia.

Highlighting the food and energy security challenges emerging as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, India on Thursday highlighted the "disproportionate impact on the Global South and developing countries" of the ongoing disruptions.

Speaking at the UNSC briefing on Ukraine, TS Tirumurti, said, "The conflict is having a destabilizing effect with broader regional and global implications."

"The food security challenges emanating from the conflict require us to respond by going beyond constraints that bind us presently. Energy security is equally a serious concern and needs to be addressed through cooperative efforts," he said.

(ANI)

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