Russia-Ukraine Crisis: India Abstains in Another UNSC Vote

On Sunday, India abstained from a procedural vote taken in the UN Security Council to call for a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In the meeting, 11 countries voted in favour of the resolution.

Countries abstaining from the vote included India, UAE and China, with Russia voting against the resolution. The 15-nation Security Council met on Sunday to hold the vote on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the 193 member Council. This will be the 11^th emergency meeting of UN General Assembly since 1950.

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On Friday as well, these three countries abstained from the resolution, while 11 members of the Council voted in favour. Since Russia is a permanent member of the Council and President of the UN organ for the month of February, it was certain that the country would obstruct the resolution to utilize its veto. Western countries are concerned with Moscow’s disengagement on the resolution for its invasion and attacks against Ukraine.

“Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however, daunting that may appear at this moment. It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution,” said Mr Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution that underlined the “invalidity” of the referendum held in “autonomous Crimea” by recording 100 votes in favour, 11 in against, and 58 abstentions.

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With this, the Assembly had adopted a resolution namely ‘Territorial Integrity of Ukraine’, calling on international organizations, and states to not recognize any change in the status of Crimea, and to refrain from activities that might support its recognition. India had abstained from that resolution as well.

While India is calling for an end to violence by urging adherence to the principles of international laws, the act of abstaining from vote is more or less an indication of things to come.