NEW DELHI, 30 Aug: China’s infringements along India’s border are a violation of the international order and should not be accepted, but at the same time, there is a need to understand Europe’s outrage over the Russian attack on Ukraine, German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said on Monday.
In an interaction with the media, the newly-appointed envoy also described China’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh as “outrageous.”
Terming the Russian attack on Ukraine the most serious aggression in the world in the last 70 years, the envoy said he believed the Indian side also very well recognises that it is a violation of international law.
Ackermann said India and Europe may not agree to “every single line” when it comes to the Ukraine crisis, but there was an understanding of the problem between the two sides.
“We are aware of the Indian problem at the northern border. We should not forget that China claims Arunachal Pradesh is part of China. We see very clearly that the infringement at the border is extremely difficult and should not be accepted,” he said.
Ackermann said India should also differentiate between what is happening at the border with China and Ukraine.
“This (Russian attack on Ukraine) is by dimension is completely different than what we see at the border (India-China border) at an abstract level,” he said.
“I think the Indian side very well recognises the violation of international law,” the envoy said about the Indian position on Ukraine.
The ambassador welcomed India’s recent vote at the UN Security Council, allowing the Ukrainian president to address the global body virtually.
It is progress in India’s position, he said.
The German envoy said the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a constant subject of discussion between Germany and India, adding that it has “manifold impact,” including on food and energy security.
Ackermann said Russia has been playing around with energy supply to Germany, and that Moscow has a contractual obligation to supply 20 percent gas to it.
“Now they have stopped it for the last few days,” he added. (PTI)
