India abstains from voting on US sponsored UNSC resolution on Russia-Ukraine conflict

With Russia exercising its veto, a draft resolution sponsored by the U.S. and Albania, condemning Russian aggression and calling for the country’s withdrawal from Ukraine, has failed to pass the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

India abstains from voting on US sponsored UNSC resolution on Russia-Ukraine conflict
The United Nations Security Council voted this morning on the US-sponsored resolution that condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from the neighbouring country.

The draft resolution was sponsored by the United States and Albania and supported by several other nations including Poland, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.

Eleven countries voted in favour of the resolution while India, China and UAE abstained.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said New Delhi is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine. India urged that all efforts be made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. He said, no solution can ever arrive at the cost of human lives. Tirumurti said, for all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain from this resolution.

In post-meeting remarks to the press, U.N. Secretary-General Atonio Guterres said the meeting’s objective had not been achieved.

“Today, that objective was not achieved. But we must never give up,” he said. “We must give peace another chance.”