Ukraine War: 'Kindly Don't Patronise Us,' India's UN Envoy Tells Dutch Diplomat On Twitter After He Says India Should Not Abstain

In an unusual exchange between diplomats on Twitter, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), TS Tirumurti, told Karel van Oosterom, the ambassador of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, not to patronise India.

Ambassador Tirumurti was responding to the Dutch diplomat's comment on India's stand in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

"You should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter," the Dutch diplomat said on Twitter in response to Tirumurti's statement at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Ukraine.

"Kindly don't patronise us ambassador. We know what to do," Tirumurti, who took over as the Permanent Representative of India to the UN in May 2020, said in response to the Dutch diplomat's tweet.

Speaking at the UNSC on Ukraine on Thursday (5 May), Tirumurti had said that India remains on the side of peace.

"Ever since the commencement of the conflict in Ukraine, India has been consistently calling for complete cessation of hostilities and for pursuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the only way out," he had said.

Since January this year, India has abstained on procedural votes and draft resolutions in the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council that deplored Russian aggression against Ukraine.

New Delhi has been under pressure from the United States and Europe to take a strong position against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and cut trade and defence ties with Moscow. India has called for the cessation of fighting in Ukraine and respect for territorial integrity on multiple occasions, but Europe's sanctimonious tone towards it hasn't changed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was in India earlier this month, followed the same script, warning India of the close ties and 'no limit' friendship between Russia and China.

With inputs from PTI

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