Current affairs

Russia vetoes UN resolution against its invasion of Ukraine: Why India stayed off from voting?

By alagu, 26 February, 2022
Vladimir Putin, Russia, Ukraine, India

Russia's tag of a permanent member at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has helped Putin's regime to use its veto power in blocking the resolution tabled by the council against its invasion of Ukraine. The development, that has drawn swift global attention, has come when the Russian troops began their military operation to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv with the mission of toppling the current Ukrainian government. 

Countering the invasion, the Ukrainian military has also been battling the Russian troops while several global countries have been imposing economical strikes against Russia through incessant sanctions and embargos. On Friday, UNSC, which is the UN's top body, has convened in New York to discuss the conflict and to adopt a resolution against the Russian invasion. However, as a permanent member state in the body, Russia has used its veto power to collapse the resolution. 

The 15-nation security council had voted on the draft resolution, that has deplored Russia's aggression against Ukraine, on Friday afternoon. The draft was made by the United States and Albania and co-sponsored by a group of 67 UN member states including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.  

During the voting, the resolution has got 11 votes in favour of it only to see its end as Russia has blocked it through its veto power. It must be noted that Russia is the President of the security council for the month of February. As the resolution failed, Moscow advances its invasion amid bracing up several sanctions from the western countries some of which had directly sieged Putin's wealth overseas.

On the other hand, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates had abstained from voting on the resolution even as the western countries had pledged to take the resolution for a larger forum. Commenting on why India has stayed off from voting for the resolution against Russia, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador TS Tirumurti had reiterated the stand of New Delhi for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. 

He said, "India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine. We urge that all efforts are made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities." He further said that India is deeply concerned about the welfare and security of the Indian community, including a large number of Indian students, in Ukraine. He said that no solution can ever be arrived at, at the cost of human lives. 

"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", he added. He stated that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. All member states need to honour these principles in finding a constructive way forward.

Though the resolution was failed to take off, the convergence had given a prospect to the member states to pour more life into their condemnation for Vladimir Putin's decision to launch a full-scale military operation against the former Soviet colony. Speaking after the voting on the resolution, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, "Let me make one thing clear. Russia, you can veto this resolution, but you can not veto our voices, you can not veto the truth, you can not veto our principles, and you can not veto the Ukrainian people." 

British Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward said, "Make no mistake, Russia is isolated. It has no support for the invasion of Ukraine." According to reports, Russia will be facing another vote on the resolution before the larger UN General Assembly in which it will get passed in a significant margin. The council's resolution was made in a way of reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. 

 

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