Sri Lanka must stand by Ukraine - Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala

Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Disarmament, Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala is of the view that the concept of non-alignment is currently under siege.

With Sri Lanka also being a non-aligned country, he says that the island must declare its stance on the war in Europe, sooner than later.

“So far, I have not seen the Foreign Ministry or the Foreign Minister making a statement [on the matter],” Dr. Dhanapala said, noting that it is very important for Sri Lanka, as a matter of principle, to make its stance clear.

“Because we are also a small non-aligned country and when a small non-aligned country like Ukraine has been invaded by a large country, we have to stand by Ukraine and give our position very clearly.” 

The fact that Sri Lanka has been silent is very serious and unfortunate, he added.