United Nations/New Delhi: India has said de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions should be an immediate priority and that "all sides" should exercise "utmost restraint" as it told a UN meeting the mounting crisis can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
"We cannot afford to have a military escalation, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine on Monday night, and voiced "deep concern" over the escalation of tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border.
Tirumurti also said these developments have the potential to undermine peace and security of the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognising them as independent states.
Russia said the troops have not yet been deployed but will be "peacekeeping" in the regions, which it has backed since 2014. The US said calling them peacekeepers was "nonsense", and accused Russia of creating a pretext for war. Several countries have announced sanctions in response. Ukraine's President said his country was "not afraid of anything or anyone".
In a late-night televised address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for "clear and effective actions of support" from Ukraine's international allies.
Russia's Upper House of Parliament has also given Putin permission to use military force outside the country.
Fears over an invasion have been rising in recent months, as Russia has massed some 150,000 troops along Ukraine's borders, according to US estimates.
At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed Russia's claims that troops would be taking on a "peacekeeping" role, saying: "We know what they really are."
Recognising Luhansk and Donetsk as independent was part of Russia's bid to create a reason to invade Ukraine, she said.
Russia has been backing a bloody armed rebellion in eastern Ukraine for the past eight years. Some 14,000 people — including many civilians — have died in fighting since then.
Noting that the safety and security of civilians are essential, Tirumurti, meanwhile, said more than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including in its border areas. "The well-being of Indian nationals is of priority to us."
The Indian embassy in Ukraine also made a fresh appeal on Tuesday to Indian students to leave that country temporarily.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, asserted India stands for peace and that the Ukrainian crisis should be resolved through talks.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the ensuing jump in global crude prices are a challenge to financial stability in India.
Ambassador Tirumurti said: "We call for restraint on all sides. The immediate priority is de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries and aimed towards securing long term peace and stability in the region and beyond." He strongly emphasised the "vital need for all sides to maintain international peace and security by exercising the "utmost restraint" and intensifying diplomatic efforts to ensure that a mutually amicable solution is arrived at the earliest.
He also said India has emphasised time and again constructive diplomacy is the need of the hour to avoid scaling up tensions.
Meanwhile, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto told reporters on Tuesday that Russia's actions in Ukraine will have an impact on the security assessment for a joint Finnish-Russian nuclear plant project in northwest Finland.
"Security will certainly be one factor in the review," Niinisto said. He declined to comment on the likely outcome of the assessment and added the Finnish government would make the final decision on whether a construction permit is granted. With agency inputs