Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss Friday stressed the need for a relook at the UN Security Council and supported a greater role for India in the world body.
Speaking at ABP Network’s Ideas of India Summit here, Truss also there was a need to fast-track Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Asked if the India should be extended permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Truss said, “I think we need to relook at the Security Council. We are now in a position where one of the five members of the Security Council is pursuing an illegal war (in Ukraine).
“That does beg the question about how this institution operates, and I do support a greater role for India. Absolutely. As a key player internationally,” she said.
Truss said the UN Security Council had no decisive impact on the war In Ukraine.
“We need to send fighter jets (to Ukraine). We should have sent tanks sooner there. This war will only end when Ukraine prevails. I don’t see an outcome where Russia wins. We will not let that happen. The question is how long it will take? The longer it takes the more Ukrainian lives are lost, more the country is destroyed, and more atrocities committed,” she said.
There have been “horrific crimes” of rape and sexual violence in Ukraine, she said.
“We need to be on the front foot about freedom and democracy. Our adversaries like China and Russia are very good at promoting their economic model. They use misinformation and technology to communicate in all kinds of ways to the world,” she said.
“They also use the power of economic coercion to try and influence the way people think,” Truss said.
She said India’s voice is going to be “incredibly important” being the world’s largest democracy.
Truss said she is a great supporter of trading more with allies like India. “When I was trade secretary, I kicked off the free trade negotiations with India,” she said.
“I also want to see us work together with like-minded countries to create what I describe as an economic NATO,” she said.
India is going to play a crucial role in the next few years, she said.
“I see in India new infrastructure being built, industries being developed, new investment going in and those high growth rates being achieved.
“We need close collaboration in areas like intelligence, defence and in defence production because what we know as a result of the war in Ukraine is that we need to build up our stockpiles.
“We need to be manufacturing more. And of course, India is in an ideal position to be doing more of that manufacturing of defence. So, we have a real opportunity for that closer collaboration,” Truss said.
The former UK PM said she believes that India has a very important role to play in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as Quad, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
“I fully support the grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, I think that is going to be vitally important. I would like to see that develop into a more formal alliance, so that we make sure democracy is protected because what we’ve learnt from the war in Ukraine is that if an authoritarian regime feels that there isn’t going to be a reaction, then they will act.
“And we know that President Xi has said that he wants to create one China and that he wants to see Taiwan under Chinese control. I think that would be disastrous,” she said.
Truss said, “We learned the hard way, what not preparing looks like with the war in Ukraine. Putin is responsible for that war; he is the perpetrator. But we all know in Western Europe that we should have done more earlier.” “Let us learn that lesson for Taiwan. Let us make sure that Taiwan is able to defend itself and let’s make sure that we build up that economic resilience so that China cannot use economic coercion to achieve the objectives that they either achieve militarily or by that coercion,” she said.
“I think in India, we see the greatest hope for our future, a free democracy that is growing rapidly, a country of pluralism,” she said.
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