India was “deeply” concerned on Wednesday about the Bucha massacre in Ukraine, which it “strongly” condemned without mentioning Russia or Moscow's alleged involvement in the killings, while again recalling its “neutrality” in the conflict.
“I want to say that we are deeply concerned about the reports, and we strongly condemn the murders that have taken place,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during a speech before Parliament.
“This is an extremely serious issue and we support the call for an independent investigation,” he said, a position already expressed by the Asian country on Tuesday before the United Nations Security Council.
The town of Bucha, some 60 kilometers from Kiev, was occupied by Russian forces during the weeks of siege of the capital, and images of mass graves and corpses in the streets have been disseminated following the withdrawal of invading troops, during the current retreat of Russia to eastern Ukraine.
Jaishankar noted that India “continues to insist on an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence,” as well as peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia “including at the presidential level.”
“If India has chosen a side, it is the side of peace,” said the foreign minister, echoing New Delhi's position of neutrality since Moscow began the invasion of Ukraine, which it has avoided condemning.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday defended India's stance in the face of criticism from the international community.
“At a time when the world is divided into two blocs, India can take an independent stand for humanity. India has kept its national interest at the forefront,” Modi said, according to statements collected by the national newspaper Indian Express, during an event.
Although India has called for a ceasefire and dialogue, it abstained in the UN vote to condemn the invasion of Russia or to attribute responsibility for the humanitarian crisis to it.
New Delhi also received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week, and the South Asian country said after his passage that it will continue to buy oil from Russia despite international sanctions and pressure to isolate Moscow.
Russia is a historic ally of India and one of the main suppliers of military equipment for the South Asian country.
(With information from EFE)
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