Russian Federation has been India’s all-weather friend: N. Ram

Russia understands India’s independent and balanced position on Ukraine conflict, he says

N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group Publishing Pvt. Ltd., along with Oleg N. Avdeev, Russian Consul General, left, looking at the photo exhibition titled ‘Ordinary Nazism’, in Chennai on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: M.Vedhan

In an effort to put the Russian Federation’s military operation in Ukraine in context, a photo exhibition titled ‘Ordinary Nazism’, showcasing the long history of Nazism in Ukraine and the modern forms it has taken in present day Ukraine, was inaugurated by N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Ltd. and Oleg N. Avdeev, Consul General of Russia here at Russian Centre of Science and Culture on Wednesday.

Speaking about the ‘Genesis of Ukraine-Russia conflict’, Mr. Ram said Russian government had understood India’s independent and balanced position and was committed to maintaining a close dialogue with India on the situation.

“But, it [relationship between Russia and India] goes beyond government to government relations…for tens of millions of ordinary Indians and as well as for a large selection of political decision makers, regardless of their ideological orientation. The Soviet Union, and after its break up, the Russian Federation, has been an all-weather friend, and a strategic ally whose unconditional loyalty and trustworthiness have stood the test of time. And, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that this perception has become entrenched in India‘s political psyche,” he said.

Mr. Ram said the genesis of the conflict was complex and hoped that the it could be resolved through dialogue and negotiation. “The genesis of this is complex, goes back to the history of the Russian Orthodox ChurchAnd today, every attempt is made by the Zelensky regime, with the support of the most reactionary forces in the world, to eradicate those historical ties, but that is impossible. The other part of the story is very unfortunate. The destruction and the human toll that it has taken,” he added.

However, Mr. Ram said: “But the propaganda [Western propaganda against Russia] has to be combated.”

Consul General of Russian Federation, Mr. Avdeev said the coup d’état in February 2014 brought an openly Nazi regime in Kiev and the West was pushing the Kiev regime to use military force for the solution of the Donbas problem. “Donbas is an area which incorporates two regions with a Russian population. This has always been a part of historical part of Russia except for the last 100 years,” he said.