At a time when the US administration led by President Donald Trump has put a 25% tariff as a “Russian penalty”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that “double standards are clearly in evidence”. Speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA, Jaishankar said, “The costs, especially to the Global South, in terms of energy, food and fertilizer security were starkly demonstrated by ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza. Apart from jeopardizing supplies and logistics, access and costs themselves became pressure points on nations. Double standards are clearly in evidence.” He said, “Peace can certainly enable development; but by threatening development we cannot facilitate peace. Making energy and other essentials more uncertain in an economically fragile situation helps no one. Therefore, the way out is to move the needle towards dialogue and diplomacy, not in the opposite direction towards further complications.” “In any conflict situation, there will be a few who have the ability to engage both sides. Such countries can be utilised by the international community, both to achieve peace and to maintain it thereafter. So even as we attempt to address complex threats to peace, the value of encouraging a buy-in from those supportive of such goals should be appreciated,” he said. India has been engaging with both Russia and Ukraine over the last couple of years. The Foreign Minister said it is imperative that the world display neither tolerance nor accommodation to terrorist activities. “A persistent threat to development is that perennial disruptor of peace — terrorism… Given the extensive networking amongst terrorists, those who act against them on any front actually render a larger service to the international community as a whole,” he said. “As we confront conflict, economic pressures and terrorism, the limitations of multilateralism and the United Nations in particular are visible. The need for reforming multilateralism has never been greater.” Stating that the international situation today is both politically and economically volatile, he said, “We, as members of G20 have a particular responsibility to strengthen its stability and give it a more positive direction. That is best done by undertaking dialogue and diplomacy, by firmly combating terrorism and by appreciating the need for stronger energy and economic security.” Earlier in the day, Jaishankar said that nations cannot escape the reality that demands for a global workforce cannot be met in many countries due to national demographics. His remarks come amid trade and tariff challenges, as well as President Donald Trump's hardline stance on immigration, including a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas that largely affects Indian professionals who are beneficiaries of these temporary work visas.
