Edited By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: March 03, 2023, 12:14 IST
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the media in New Delhi (Image: PTI)
Blinken said the Russo-Ukrainian war’s impact is global and is not limited to Europe or Ukraine and lack of criticism towards Russia may encourage other aggressors
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that not stopping Russia sends a message to aggressors around the planet that if they commit similar actions without consequence.
Blinken was speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2023 in Delhi themed “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon,” where his Japanese, Australian and Indian counterparts were also present.
“We are rightly focussed on what is happening in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, not just because it matters to Ukrainians and to Ukraine and Europe, but because it matters to the entire world,” Blinken said.
“If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that’s a message to the aggressors everywhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” the US Secretary of State further added.
The war in Ukraine has been discussed widely during the G20 events and it featured in the recent meeting of the foreign ministers in New Delhi and was also discussed when finance ministers and central bank governors earlier met in Bengaluru.
Blinken also spoke about the war in Ukraine with Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar. Both leaders discussed ways and means to mitigate the impact of the war on the global economy and global supply chains.
He also chose to send a message to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, where he urged him to reverse Moscow’s “irreversible decision” and return to implementing the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear arms reduction treaty.
During the session hosted by the ORF, Blinken said Quad is not a military alliance but a grouping of nations who want to develop and connect all stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region.
“For us the future (lies) so much in the Indo-Pacific… Our proposition is to offer positive choices – by working together in practical areas with the countries of the region through a variety of frameworks,” Blinken said.
“The great power of Quad is that it brings together like-minded countries that have common values. We are creating positive choices for the region – vaccines, humanitarian assistance and maritime domain awareness,” he further added.
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