Former President Mohamed Nasheed defended the Maldives’ vote in favour of a United Nations resolution on Ukraine after Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Levan Dzhagaryan criticised Nasheed’s stance and highlighted Russia’s economic contribution to the island nation through tourism.
Nasheed on Tuesday praised the Maldives for supporting the resolution ‘Advancing a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine’ at the UN General Assembly on Monday, calling it an act of “courage and foresight.” He also noted that while the United States had aligned with Russia and North Korea, the Maldives voted with European nations and “plain common sense.”
Russian Ambassador Dzhagaryan, in a brief statement on Thursday, said he was “perplexed” by Nasheed’s remarks and questioned why an “experienced politician” failed to recognise “growing trends towards peaceful resolution” of the conflict.
“While the US is moving to a more pragmatic and realistic approach, Mr. Nasheed prefers following outdated European aggressive position and militaristic rhetoric,” Dzhagaryan said. He also reminded Nasheed that “it’s Russian tourists (not Ukrainians) who inflate the budget of Maldives” and suggested he show “gratitude” for Russia’s support.
Nasheed later sought to clarify his stance, stating that the Maldives’ vote was not meant as an act against Russia.
“I am very sorry that my admiration for the Maldives government in voting in favour of [the resolution] at the UNGA disturbed you,” Nasheed said in a post directed at Dzhagaryan on Friday. “We want to see peace, just as I’m sure you do.”
He added that as a small nation, the Maldives aimed to stay out of shifting global geopolitics and acknowledged Russia’s role in the country’s tourism sector. He also extended Ramadan greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people.
The Russian embassy later welcomed Nasheed’s response, saying: “We respect every country regardless of its size, including [the Maldives]. We also stand for peaceful resolution of all conflicts, Ukraine, Gaza, Syria.”
The Maldives has consistently backed UN resolutions supporting Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022.