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The QUAD group condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, calling them unacceptable. Photo/Illustration/Sindonews
NEW DELHI – The Foreign Ministers of the QUAD group countries namely the United States (US), Japan, India and Australia condemned the threat of using nuclear weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin. They called it unacceptable when discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar hosted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their Japanese and Australian counterparts, Yoshimasa Hayashi and Penny Wong, for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meeting in New Delhi.
“We continue to discuss our response to the conflict in Ukraine and the immense human suffering it has caused,” Quad members said in a joint statement.
“And agrees that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable,” the statement continued as reported by the Nikkei, Friday (3/3/2023).
The Quad members also underlined the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.
The four ministers emphasized that a rules-based global order must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and peaceful resolution of disputes.
The carefully crafted statement did not mention Russia by name. Out of the Quad, India is the only one that has not explicitly condemned Moscow, its longtime ally and arms supplier.
As is well known, Russian President Vladimir Putin last month suspended a major nuclear arms control treaty and raised the possibility of restarting nuclear tests.
Late last year, he said the risk of nuclear war was growing, although he also vowed not to use nuclear weapons in the first place and insisted his government was not “crazy”.
(ian)
