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In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates abstained from voting on a Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The resolution, which was introduced by the United States and Albania and backed by nearly 60 countries, gained 11 votes in favour, giving it a majority in the 15-member Council, but it was overturned on Friday evening by Russia’s veto.
T.S. Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative, explained the abstention, saying, “It is regrettable that the diplomatic road was abandoned. We must get back to it. Dialogue is the only way to resolve differences and problems, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time.”
The resolution aimed to declare that Russia has engaged in acts of aggression against Ukraine, and that the situation constitutes a threat to international peace and security. It would also have urged that Russia stop using force against Ukraine immediately and withdraw its military forces completely from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.
“India is profoundly troubled by the recent course of events in Ukraine,” Tirumurti added, without specifically mentioning Russia. “All attempts should be taken for the quick cessation of violence and hostilities,” he stressed, assuming a neutral stance.
Following a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, India decided to abstain. However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to lobby for a vote in favour of the resolution. India’s decision to abstain is a stumbling block on the path to stronger ties with the United States and the rest of the Western world.
The vote on the resolution was a litmus test for how countries view the US, according to US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas Greenfield. She stated before the vote, “There is no middle ground.”
She went on to say, “And after the vote,” “This vote revealed which countries genuinely support the UN’s core values and which ones use them as a convenient catch-all. This vote revealed which members of the Security Council favour and which do not respect the UN Charter.”
