India abstained from a resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Sunday that asked for an emergency special meeting of the General Assembly to discuss the Russian invasion and conflict in Ukraine. The referral by the United Nations Security Council was last invoked during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1982.
This is the second time in three days that the Security Council has observed a vote on the Ukraine crisis. The UNSC had voted on a West-backed draft resolution after the Russian troops invaded the Ukrainian territory on the 24th of February. The voting had received 11 votes in favour of the resolution, while three nations abstained from voting, namely China, India and UAE. However, the draft resolution fell through as Russia exercised its veto power.
The United Nations Security Council resolution called for an emergency special session of the 193 members of the general assembly due to the lack of consensus among its permanent members. India’s explanation of its vote was mainly on lines that call for keeping alive diplomatic channels.
India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, T.S. Tirumurti, expressed deep regrets that the situation in Ukraine is deteriorating every day and said that New Delhi urges an immediate end to the violence.
There is no other choice but to return back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, he said, while adding that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also advocated the same in his phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President V. Zelenskyy.
He added that India welcomes the announcement made by both sides to hold talks at the Belarus border. Trimurti stressed that global peace is based on international laws, the UN charter and the respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states.
