Russia can’t declare a “monopoly” on the relationships of the Soviet Union, mentioned a Ukrainian Member of Parliament (MP), who hoped India’s place on the war of Ukraine will “evolve” to 1 that’s extra supportive of Kyiv. The youngest MP within the Ukrainian parliament, 27-year-old Sviatoslav Yurash, has fought within the Ukraine warfare himself, and has been nicknamed the “MP with an AK-47”, had earlier visited India in 2015 as a scholar on an trade programme at Calcutta (Kolkata) University.

Also read: India should send stronger message to Russia, use G20 Presidency, says Ukrainian MP

He mentioned there are lots of Ukrainians like him who love India, whereas many Indian residents who went to Ukraine to check selected to dwell on there, even after the Government’s evacuation operations in March 2022. However, Mr. Yurash mentioned that the governments of the 2 international locations “lack engagement” and therefore have variations in place on the warfare. Although he appreciated India’s humanitarian support to Ukraine and PM Modi’s “era of war” statement final yr, Mr. Yurash mentioned he needed to emphasize that India’s conventional relationship with Russia, additionally included Ukraine, as each have been a part of the Soviet Union.

“We need to explain our story [in India], explain the fact that the friendship [India] had with Soviet Union, it does not belong to Russia along, [Ukraine was] a critical part of it as well. Russians do not have a monopoly on the old relationships of the Soviet Union,” he mentioned.

In the previous few months, the Ukrainian authorities has expressed its disappointment with India, particularly over India’s refusal to vote for resolutions criticising Russia at the UN, in various methods. In July 2022, President Zelensky recalled his Ambassador to India, and has not but despatched a substitute, and in addition put the names of three Indians, together with the chief of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) on a “blacklist”. And final month, the Head of Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament referred to as for the U.S. to sanction India and China for continuing to buy increasing quantities of Russian oil.

When requested, Mr. Yurash mentioned that these incidents didn’t symbolize a strategic place in Ukraine, however extra an emotional one, as there’s some “hurt” over the warfare. “Part of the message I take back to Kiev is that we must expand our engagement with India. I want to focus on the fact that India is a country that will lead this century,” Mr. Yurash advised The Hindu, including that if “India is to lead, it needs to take a stand and engage with different positions from its own.” He additionally mentioned that as India is President of G20, Ukraine would welcome a go to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, akin to the go to by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Kyiv and Moscow final yr.

Editorial | Not neutral: On India’s stand on Ukraine at the U.N.

Mr. Yurash, a member of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “Servant of the People” get together and on the parliamentary committee of overseas affairs, was a particular invitee on the Ministry of External Affairs and ORF-run annual “Raisina Dialogue” Conference in Delhi this month. However, he mentioned that he and various “Young Raisina Fellows” on the occasion had determined to boycott the session with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as he mentioned he didn’t need to “legitimize” what was mentioned on the session.

When requested in regards to the boycott, Russian diplomats advised The Hindu that the corridor on the session final week was “fully booked” and that nobody current had “noticed” the absence of any delegates. They additionally identified that the Russian delegation had not boycotted any of the opposite occasions, indicating various periods with European and U.S. delegates that had been sharply important of Russia.

During the session, Mr. Lavrov had accused Ukraine and different western international locations backing it of refusing to come to the table for talks, and mentioned President Zelensky had handed a decree making talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin unlawful. Mr. Yurash responded that Ukraine had participated in a number of rounds of talks after the Russian invasion in February 2022, however that whereas the warfare continues and Russian troops stay in Ukrainian territory, it will be laborious to foresee real or productive talks between them.

“Ukraine gave up the third biggest nuclear arsenal in the world (in 1994) in return for guarantees, integrity, security, and sovereignty. Russia has violated all three of them, time and time and time again. The point is, agreements with Russia are not worth the paper they are written on,” Mr. Yurash mentioned, when requested for a response.