De-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions immediate priority: India

Following Putin's decision, the UN Security Council, under Russia's Presidency for the month, held an emergency open briefing called for by Ukraine.

Voicing “deep concern” over the escalation of tension after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into eastern Ukraine, India has told the UN Security Council that the immediate priority is de-escalation of tensions and said it was convinced that this issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.

President Putin on Monday signed decrees to recognise Ukraine’s regions of “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics” as “independent”.

Addressing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine on Monday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said, “we have been closely following the evolving developments relating to Ukraine,