MAINTAINING its neutral stand, India on Wednesday abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian territories. India, at the UNGA, declared that it is consistent with its "well thought out national position" and called for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Explaining India's decision, Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj said that with its "firm resolve to strive for a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy, India has decided to abstain". The resolution, which received 143 votes, with only five countries voting against it, and 35 abstaining, passed with the required two-thirds majority showing Russia's isolation.

Kamboj further criticised Russia without naming it and said, "We have consistently advocated that no solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives. Escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one's interest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said unequivocally that this cannot be an era of war", she said.

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She also quoted from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's speech at the Assembly in September in which he implied support for Ukraine in the conflict, saying, "We are on the side that respects the UN Charter and its founding principles".

"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 conflicts. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation," she said.

In the run-up to today's vote at the Assembly, India had voted with the West and in opposition to Russia on three procedural motions that did not affect its neutrality in a substantive way. India had also abstained on the recent resolution in the Security Council and on the two resolutions in the General Assembly condemning Russia in March.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had spoken with Prime Minister Modi last week amid intense diplomatic push for support for the resolution. During the call, according to the External Affairs Ministry, the Prime Minister had told Zelensky that there could not a be military solution and dialogue was the way to end the conflict.

Before the vote at the Assembly, Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenza repeated Moscow's assertions that the four regions of Ukraine had voted in the 90 per cent range in referendums to join Russia. Ukraine and several countries have called the referendums an illegal sham because they were held under military occupation.

Nebenza accused the Western countries of threatening nations with economic consequences if they did not vote with them and demanded a secret ballot, which was rejected by the Assembly. Although the West unleashed a high-pressure diplomatic campaign, it managed to get only two more votes than for the first resolution in March and three more than for the second one.


(With Agency Inputs)


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