India has abstained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) against Russia’s annexation of some parts of Ukraine. China also did not take part in the voting along with Cuba, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Explaining her country’s position, India Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said late on Wednesday that New Delhi’s decision is “consistent” with its “well thought-out national position.”
India stands ready to support all efforts aimed at de-escalation while underlining the importance of peaceful solutions through dialogue and diplomacy, she said.
The voting took place on the issue of a draft resolution that condemned Russia’s “illegal” referendums and attempts to annex parts of Ukraine.
The 193-member General Assembly voted against Russia, criticising its “illegal so-called referendums in regions within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine and the attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, following the organisation of the above-mentioned referendums”.
The resolution “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defending the principles of the Charter of the United Nations” was adopted with 143 nations voting in favour; Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, and Nicaragua voting against; and 35, including India, abstaining.
Kamboj said India urged that all efforts be made for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. “The path to peace requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open. We therefore sincerely hope for an early resumption of peace talks to bring about an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation,” Kamboj said.
“There are other pressing issues at play, some of which have not been adequately addressed in the resolution voted today. Our decision to abstain is consistent with our well thought-out national position,” she added.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had last month told Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is not an era of war, Kamboj said with this firm resolve to strive for a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy, India has decided to abstain.
She emphasised it is unfortunate that as the trajectory of the Ukrainian conflict unfolds, the entire global South has suffered “substantial collateral damage”.
“As developing countries face the brunt of the conflict’s consequences on food, fuel and fertiliser supplies, it is critical that the voice of the Global South be heard and their legitimate concerns duly addressed. We must therefore not initiate measures that further complicate a struggling global economy,” she said.
The resolution declared that the “unlawful actions” of Russia with regard to the illegal so-called referendums held from September 23 to 27 in parts of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine and the subsequent attempted illegal annexation of these regions “have no validity under international law and do not form the basis for any alteration of the status of these regions of Ukraine”.
It called upon all states, international organisations, and United Nations specialised agencies not to recognise any alteration by Russia of the status of any or all of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk or Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, and demanded that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of the war-torn nation within its internationally recognised borders.
Last month, India had abstained while Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution tabled by the US and Albania that would have condemned Moscow’s “illegal referenda” and declared the annexation of four Ukrainian territories as invalid.
The 15-nation UN Security Council had voted on the draft resolution on “Illegal So-Called Referenda in Ukraine”, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a ceremony in the Kremlin, had signed treaties to annex the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
The resolution failed to get adopted as permanent UNSC member Russia vetoed it. Of the 15-nation council, 10 nations voted for the resolution and China, Gabon, India and Brazil abstained.
India has abstained on votes on the Ukraine conflict in the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
