News Desk
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Russia’s ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Levan Dzhagaryan, issued a sharp rebuttal on Thursday to a former Maldivian president, defending Moscow’s role as a key economic partner while questioning the island nation’s recent U.N. vote alongside European states on the Ukraine conflict.
The exchange began when former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed praised his country’s decision to support a United Nations General Assembly resolution on February 24 calling for a ‘comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.’
In a Tuesday post on X, Nasheed, the west’s poster boy for environmental advocacy, hailed the vote as a bold stand, noting with surprise that the United States had sided with Russia and North Korea in opposing it. “Courage and foresight,” he called it, aligning the Maldives with Europe over the two powers.
Dzhagaryan fired back on X, expressing puzzlement at Nasheed’s stance. “It raises questions how such an experienced politician couldn’t catch new growing trends towards peaceful resolution of Ukrainian conflict,” he wrote. He framed Russia, and even the U.S., as leaning toward pragmatism, while casting Europe’s position as rigid and outdated.
The Maldives’ vote—backing a resolution that passed with 104 in favor, 17 against, and 15 abstentions—placed it at odds with both Russia and the U.S., two of the 17 dissenters. The decision stood out for a nation that relies heavily on Russian tourists, who numbered over 136,000 in 2024, second only to China. Tourism fuels nearly a third of the Maldives’ economy, making Moscow’s goodwill a tangible asset.
The ambassador didn’t shy away from that point. “I would like to remind Mr. Nasheed that it’s Russian tourists (not Ukrainians) who inflate the budget of Maldives during their stay on this marvelous archipelago,” he wrote, pairing the jab with a modest hope for appreciation.
Russia’s visitors have remained a lifeline, especially as Western sanctions push Moscow toward neutral or friendly destinations like the Maldives.
Nasheed’s pro-European leanings, tied to his environmental advocacy and Western acclaim, seem to underpin his position. Yet the Maldives’ vote also reflects a broader regional pattern: Bhutan and Nepal joined it in supporting the resolution, while India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka abstained. Among the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Maldives was one of several to vote yes, though most, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, stayed neutral, and a handful—Sudan, Syria, Türkiye—opposed it alongside Russia and the U.S.
For now, Dzhagaryan’s response paints Russia as a steady friend, nudging the Maldives to value cooperation over conflict. Nasheed’s next move—whether a nod of thanks or a firm stand—will test the balance between principle and pragmatism in a nation where tourism’s dollars carry real weight.
