It’s a remark uncalled for. The American President should know that India has not been shaky but consistent in its stand. So, he and his team should stop criticizing India’s independent foreign policy.
Every nation has the right to stand its ground as long as it does not violate international laws. So does India.
At present, what we are seeing in Ukraine is a failed mechanism to obtain a truce. The US and its allies in Nato are not into a collective effort to push negotiations. Instead, they have taken a more aggressive approach.
Clearly, it isn’t working. It has failed to bring the war to a halt. Indeed, the approach of the US and its allies is only prolonging the war that could have been avoided.
It does not require great math to say, “What will happen when they keep flooding weapons into Ukraine.” Aren’t the Western leaders aware of it?
Moreover, before the Russian troops entered Ukraine, they were amassed around its borders. The Russian Federation placed a set of demands and said that failing to meet them would lead to a military response.
So, this was not a sudden attack. Certainly, there was time for an open dialogue to decimate insecurities Russia and Ukraine had over Nato membership.
In fact, the US administration had the intelligence flowing in. The President himself was making war predictions to the media every second day. So if the US and its allies were aware of an imminent war, why didn’t they make a joint effort to prevent it?
Now, sending more weapons and slapping more sanctions will not resolve this standoff. Instead, the warring nations should be asked to end hostilities by accepting a stand that will address their concerns. It can happen only through dialogue and diplomacy.
Needless to say, that has been India’s firm stand on the issue. Also, India has the grit to hold to its views despite Western pressures and criticisms.