‘Unacceptable’, say MEA officials after envoys of U.K., France and Germany author anti-Putin article

A diplomatic incident erupted ahead of the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin after envoys of the United Kingdom, France and Germany jointly authored an article for a daily newspaper on Monday (December 1, 2025) that blamed Russia for the war in Ukraine and accused Mr. Putin of “total disregard for human life”. Officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the article by the three envoys as “unacceptable and unusual”.

Talking about the article authored by U.K.’s High Commissioner Lindy Cameron, French ambassador Thierry Mathou and German ambassador Philipp Ackermann, a senior official of the MEA said, “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.”

The article, titled ‘World wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia doesn’t seem serious about peace’, accused Russia of launching the war on Ukraine and said the attacks by Russia are “a systematic choice by Russia to wage its war of aggression with absolute ruthlessness”.

The three envoys accused Russia of 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 article further targeted Russian President Putin and said, he “stalls and delays” “serious peace talks”.

‘Breaches diplomatic norms’

Earlier, former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal responded to the article and described it as “public grandstanding with an overt propagandist intent”. He said the article was “vicious” that “breaches diplomatic norms.” “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,” said Mr. Sibal, calling on the MEA to “express its displeasure publicly at this violation of diplomatic norms by the three envoys.”

The senior officials further said India and Russia were likely to sign a mobility agreement that would facilitate employment of a large number of skilled and semi-skilled Indian workers in Russia. Russia is facing a shortage of blue-collar workers after the conflict with Ukraine erupted, prompting citizens of neighbouring countries to avoid the Russian labour market.

An official said the Indian side was not limiting the number of workers Russia wished to recruit, as it was up to the private companies to hire workers, indicating that India would be accommodating the demand of manpower from the Russian side.

The issue of mobility will be deliberated upon by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on December 3, 2025 at a conclave that is being organised by India’s World magazine and the MEA. Apart from Mr. Jaishankar, the conclave will be addressed by German ambassador Ackermann and Australia’s High Commissioner Philip Green.