German chancellor's statements on Ukraine irk Russian envoy to India

The German chancellor said the democratic nations should not help Russia earn more money than it could spend to continue its aggression against Ukraine.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the Ukraine war with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, even as a comment by the guest from Berlin urging New Delhi not to circumvent the Western sanctions on Russia irked Moscow’s envoy to New Delhi Denis Alipov on Thursday.

“I know that Europe is a little bit away from Asia of course, but on the other hand this is of such importance that I urge all democracies worldwide to be clear in language and political position that this (Russia’s special military operations in Ukraine) is not acceptable,” Habeck said.

He was replying to a query by journalists on Berlin’s view on New Delhi’s reluctance to join the G7 price cap on energy imports from Russia.

He said the democratic nations should not help Russia earn more money than it could spend to continue its aggression against Ukraine.

His comment irked Alipov, who tweeted, “Noted reports that one of the goals of German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck’s visit to India is to discuss Russia-India cooperation. He’d do better to concentrate on India-Germany relations instead as he’s supposed.”

1. Noted reports that one of the goals of German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck's visit to India is to discuss Russia-India cooperation. He’d do better to concentrate on India-Germany relations instead as he’s supposed.

— Denis Alipov 🇷🇺 (@AmbRus_India) July 20, 2023

“Unfortunately, Germany has abandoned independent position on security issues in Europe making its voice in the Ukrainian conflict irrelevant,” added Alipov.

The issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, however, came up when Jaishankar had a meeting with Habeck later. “A productive discussion on the many new opportunities of India-Germany cooperation that a rising India presents,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. “Also exchanged perspectives on the conflict in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific situation.”

New Delhi over the past one-and-a-half years drew flak from the US and Western nations, as it refused to join them in condemning Russia for its aggression against Ukraine – primarily in view of its decades-old strategic partnership.