At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, India and China, alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), abstained from voting on a resolution that condemned and called for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a withdrawal of its troops.
Sponsored by the United States (US) and Albania, along with 80 others, 11 out of the 15 permanent and non-permanent members of the Council voted in favour of the resolution. However, Russia exercised its veto power and blocked it.
The vote was postponed twice as the US and Albania sought to gather support from all the UNSC members. Officials claimed that the initial drafts were extremely strongly-worded, and sought to invoke UN Chapter VII, which would have allowed for the use of force against Russian troops. However, owing to the scepticism surrounding the harsh language used, the reference to Chapter VII was dropped. This reportedly led to China changing its vote from supporting Russia in vetoing the resolution to instead abstaining from the vote.
While explaining India’s decision to abstain from the vote, Permanent Representative to the UN T.S. Tirumurti said that New Delhi continues to be “deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine.” He also expressed concern “about the welfare and security of the Indian community,” and called for “the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities.”
Furthermore, Tirumurti advocated for respecting global order and the “sovereignty and territorial integrity of states” to seek a “constructive way forward.” Keeping this in mind, he called for a return to dialogue, expressing his regret that the parties had abandoned “the path of diplomacy.”
In the UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine today, India abstained on the vote on draft resolution.
— PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) February 25, 2022
Our Explanation of Vote ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/w0yQf5h2wr
According to government officials cited by The Hindu, India’s decision to abstain from voting allowed it to retain the option of “reaching out to relevant sides in an effort to bridge the gap and find the middle ground with an aim to foster dialogue and diplomacy.”
The abstention was appreciated by Russia, with its embassy in India expressing support for India’s “independent and balanced position” at the UNSC, which it said further strengthens and enshrines their “special and privileged strategic partnership.”
Highly appreciate India’s independent and balanced position at the voting in the UNSC on February 25, 2022.
— Russia in India 🇷🇺 (@RusEmbIndia) February 26, 2022
In the spirit of the special and privileged strategic partnership, Russia is committed to maintain close dialogue with India on the situation around Ukraine https://t.co/oKtElMLLRf
Expectedly, India’s decision attracted criticism from Ukraine. Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said, “It is exactly for the safety of your nationals right now in Ukraine that you should be the first to vote to stop the war – to save your nationals in Ukraine.” He added that Kyiv was “saddened” that a “small handful of members” seemed to be “tolerating” Russia’s aggression.
In addition, addressing the media following the vote, UN Secretary-General António Guterres regretted that the Council could not achieve the objective of the meeting. “We must give peace another chance,” he added. Moreover, even before the vote, the US had said that any member of the Council that doesn’t favour the resolution, including abstaining from the vote, would be considered to be aligning with Russia’s “aggressive and unprovoked actions.”
"The United Nations was born out of war to end war.
— United Nations (@UN) February 26, 2022
Today, that objective was not achieved.
But we must never give up.
We must give peace another chance."
-- @antonioguterres following Security Council meeting on Ukraine. https://t.co/TOCcBZIhl8 pic.twitter.com/1TOfisb6FK
Meanwhile, explaining his decision to abstain, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun said, “Ukraine should become a bridge between the East and the West, not an outpost for confrontation between major powers,” adding, “We believe that one country’s security cannot be at the expense of the security of others, and that regional security should not rely on muscling up or even expanding military blocs.” He also stressed that owing to the evidence of North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) “eastward expansion,” the international community must give importance to and address “Russia’s legitimate security aspirations.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi later explained Beijing’s position on the issue to his British, French, and German counterparts during telephonic conversations held throughout the weekend, wherein he reiterated that China “supports and encourages” a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Although China has attempted to tread carefully on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, its bias towards Moscow has nonetheless been made clear. Wang Yi has previously gone as far as to justify Russia’s security concerns as “legitimate,” saying they should be “taken seriously and addressed.” Furthermore, earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and pledged his support for Russia in the Ukraine crisis.
Following the failure of Friday’s vote, the issue will now be raised on Monday in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Emergency Session, where Russia does not have a veto. According to the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington is hoping that a favourable vote in the UNGA will increase international pressure on Moscow to cease its violent activities in Kyiv. “Russia cannot veto our voices. Russia cannot veto the Ukrainian people. And Russia cannot veto the UN Charter. Russia cannot, and will not, veto accountability,” she said.
Also Read: India’s Position on the Ukraine Crisis: All You Need to Know