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Why India abstained from UN vote on Ukraine invasion? India’s UN Representative explains..

 

New Delhi: India abstained from a US-sponsored UN resolution that denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine strongly. New Delhi emphasized the importance of dialogue for resolving differences and disputes, and expressed regret that diplomacy had been abandoned. As expected, the resolution did not pass as permanent member Russia used its veto. In the 15-member UN Security Council, the resolution received 11 votes in favour and three abstentions, including by India, China and the UAE.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, speaking to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, had stressed on the importance of a ‘strong collective response’ to condemn what America called Russia’s ‘premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine’. As India tries to maintain a tough diplomatic balance on the Russia-Ukraine war, it used harsh words against Russia’s actions but stopped short of voting against it. Before the vote, the US had dialed up pressure on India to commit to a stronger response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion.

 

Hours later, India asserted its stand at the UNSC vote, and later issued a sharp Explanation of Vote that called for a return to the path of diplomacy. ‘India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine’, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador TS Tirumurti, said, explaining India’s abstention. ‘All member states should honour principles of international law and UN Charter, as these provide a constructive way forward’, India said, asserting that it had maintained its ‘consistent, steadfast and balanced position’.

By abstaining, India has reportedly aimed at retaining the option of reaching out to relevant sides in an effort to bridge the gap and find the middle ground, with an aim to foster dialogue and diplomacy. The statement called for respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. PM Modi communicated these remarks to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call on Thursday.

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