 "Why India is upset with European envoys’ take on Putin's visit")
India is miffed with the envoys of Britain, France and Germany over their joint article in an Indian newspaper critical of Vladimir Putin. The opinion piece was published days ahead of the Russian president’s arrival in New Delhi, who is set to land on Thursday (December 4) for a two-day state visit.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed strong disapproval of the anti-Putin article, describing it as “unacceptable and unusual”. Now, Russia’s ambassador has also written an op-ed in the same newspaper, countering the previous article of the three envoys.
We take a look.
UK, European envoys write anti-Putin article
British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron, French ambassador Thierry Mathou and German ambassador Philipp Ackermann jointly wrote an article for The Times of India (TOI) earlier this week, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine.
The three envoys alleged that Russia was not serious about peace and accused it of committing war crimes.
The piece, titled World Wants The Ukraine War To End, But Russia Doesn’t Seem Serious About Peace, said the attacks on Ukraine by Russia are “a systematic choice by Russia to wage its war of aggression with absolute ruthlessness”.
The envoys claimed roughly two dozen of the “largest air attacks of the entire war in Ukraine” had been conducted since the peace talks began.
“These are not the actions of someone that’s serious about peace. Neither are these indiscriminate attacks mere accidents,” they wrote, “they are a systematic choice by Russia to wage its war of aggression with absolute ruthlessness. And it must end.”
The British and European envoys said that Putin was “the one leader who could end the war any time he so wishes”. But, they alleged that the Russian leader “stalls and delays” “serious peace talks”.
They accused Moscow of contributing to global instability and making incursions into European airspace.
The three envoys claimed Russia was conducting “malign global activity” through “cyberattacks and disinformation” that show “Russian leadership’s appetite for territorial expansion and global destabilisation goes well beyond Ukraine”.
The envoys also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the Russia-Ukraine war. “India’s voice on the matter is also loud and clear, and as PM Modi put it: ‘A solution cannot be found on the battlefield.”
India denounces article
India has condemned the anti-Russia article by the three envoys published just days ahead of Putin’s visit to the South Asian country.
The Russian president is arriving in New Delhi on Thursday and will hold the 23rd India-Russia summit with Modi on Friday.
Reacting to the piece in TOI, a senior official of the MEA told The Hindu, “This is very unusual. It is not an acceptable diplomatic practice to give public advice on third country relations. We have taken note of it.”
Kanwal Sibal, India’s former foreign secretary, said: “This vicious article against Russia just before Putin’s state visit to India breaches diplomatic norms, is a diplomatic insult to India as it questions India’s close ties with a very friendly third country.
“It is interference in our internal affairs as the purpose is to fuel anti-Russian sentiments in pro-European circles in India and question the morality of our ties with Russia.”
This vicious article against Russia just before Putin’s state visit to India breaches diplomatic norms, is a diplomatic insult to India as it questions India’s close ties with a very friendly third country.
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) December 1, 2025
It is interference in our internal affairs as the purpose is to fuel… https://t.co/oN5E2iLqT5
Sibal, who previously served as ambassador to France and Russia, accused the diplomats of having an “overt propagandist intent” and asked MEA to condemn “this violation of diplomatic norms”.
Russia hits back
Days after the article by the UK and European envoys, Russia issued its own counter in a TOI piece.
Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov, in the editorial titled Europe’s 4 Treacheries Are Impeding Peace In Ukraine, said that Moscow “never sought” war with Ukraine. He alleged it was Europe and the Obama administration in the United States that “precipitated the Ukrainian conflict in 2014 by backing a “coup d’état” that led to the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych, “in order to turn Ukraine into a bulwark against Russia”.
“It is worth recalling that Yanukovych had negotiated a settlement with the violent street protesters – an agreement guaranteed by high European representatives. They betrayed that commitment before the ink on the document had even dried. Yanukovych was forced to flee for his life to avoid being lynched by neo-Nazi mobs. This was the first act of European treachery in the unfolding Ukrainian tragedy," he wrote.
He further accused Europe of promoting Ukraine to escalate the war.
Read my article in today's TOI @timesofindia:https://t.co/9sGRKdUCiG pic.twitter.com/VlxmCnX7Ph
— Denis Alipov 🇷🇺 (@AmbRus_India) December 3, 2025
“In 2025, with the Russian army advancing along all operational axes, European leaders now call for an urgent ceasefire, shedding crocodile tears over human lives lost – as though Europe had not been the party all along encouraging Ukraine towards escalation,” the Russian ambassador said.
Alipov also accused Europe of trying to “sabotage” the Ukraine peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
“Europe’s hypocrisy has been on full display in its efforts to sabotage the peace plan proposed by US President Trump. With their ambition to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia through a proxy war in jeopardy, European leaders have redoubled their unseemly efforts to fuel the conflict. Against the backdrop of Trump’s outreach to President Putin and their Alaska meeting in Aug for peace negotiations, Europe has exposed itself as the true warmonger – and the chief obstacle to peace in Ukraine. This was the fourth European treachery,” he alleged.
With inputs from agencies
 "Why has the rupee hit a record low? What does it mean for Indians?")
 "‘They’ll be net losers’: Jaishankar’s message to anti-immigrant leaders in US, Europe")
 "India vs South Africa LIVE Score 2nd ODI at Raipur: Gaikwad reaches maiden ton, Kohli just few runs away")
 "After criticism, govt rolls back mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi on phones")
 "Why has the rupee hit a record low? What does it mean for Indians?")
 "‘They’ll be net losers’: Jaishankar’s message to anti-immigrant leaders in US, Europe")
 "India vs South Africa LIVE Score 2nd ODI at Raipur: Gaikwad reaches maiden ton, Kohli just few runs away")
 "After criticism, govt rolls back mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi on phones")
