Zelenskyy wants Asian countries to 'change attitude' towards Ukraine

Just as European countries did after the Russian invasion, Asian countries too should “change their attitude” towards Ukraine, feels its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Some NATO members underestimated Ukraine and due to this, the alliance did not enrol it as a member, he said, calling it a “gross mistake”.

Ukraine’s show of strength in thwarting Russia’s offensive “managed to change the attitude of the alliance and the European member states”, he noted and said: “I want very much want the Asian countries to change their attitude to Ukraine as well.”

India and several other Asian countries have abstained from voting against Russia on multiple Ukraine-related resolutions at the United Nations in the last few weeks.

When the UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council, 93 members voted in favour, 24 voted against and 58 abstained. Asian countries India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Omran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Singapore, and Thailand abstained from the UN vote.

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Zelenskyy observed that certain nations are closer to Russia due to their past ties to the erstwhile Soviet Union.

“After the fall of the Soviet Union they historically were close to, the Russian Federation was the successor of the Soviet Union and the biggest country as part of former the Soviet Union, that’s why their relations remain strong with Russia,” he said.

Zelenskyy’s remarks come at a time when the US and other Western allies are trying to woo India to move away from allying with Russia, especially with regards to defence relations.

India has repeatedly sought that issues between Russia and Ukraine be resolved through dialogue but refrained from joining any West-led sanctions against Russia.