India Denies Claims of Diverting Defence Exports to Ukraine
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has firmly rejected a Reuters report that alleged Indian defence exports have been diverted to Ukraine. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the report as speculative and misleading, stating that it implies violations by India where none exist.
Jaiswal emphasized that India has an impeccable track record of compliance with international obligations on the export of military and dual-use items. He added that India conducts its defence exports based on a robust legal and regulatory framework, which includes a thorough assessment of end-user obligations and certifications.
The Reuters report claimed that artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers were diverted by European customers to Ukraine. The report cited eleven Indian and European government and defence industry officials, as well as commercially available customs data, to support its claims. According to the report, the transfer of munitions to support Ukraine’s defence against Russia has been ongoing for more than a year.
India has consistently called for resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy. Despite the ongoing conflict, India has continued to purchase Russian oil. In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia and held talks with President Vladimir Putin. This was PM Modi’s first visit to Russia since the conflict began in February 2022.
Recently, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Russia to attend the BRICS National Security Advisers’ meeting, where he met with Russian leadership, including President Putin and Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu. Following this, PM Modi traveled to Ukraine in August, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the European nation. During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, PM Modi reiterated India’s position on resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. President Zelenskyy expressed confidence in India’s role in bringing peace to the region.
Doubts Revealed
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) -: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is a part of the Indian government that handles India’s relations with other countries.
Reuters -: Reuters is a big news organization that reports news from all over the world.
Defence exports -: Defence exports are weapons and military equipment that one country sells to another country.
Ukraine -: Ukraine is a country in Europe that has been in conflict with Russia.
Speculative -: Speculative means something that is based on guesses or ideas, not on solid facts.
Misleading -: Misleading means giving the wrong idea or impression about something.
Artillery shells -: Artillery shells are large bullets used by big guns in the military.
European customers -: European customers are people or countries in Europe that buy things, in this case, military equipment.
Dialogue and diplomacy -: Dialogue and diplomacy mean talking and negotiating to solve problems instead of fighting.
