Russia vetoes UNSC vote on Ukraine war as India, China and UAE abstain

Russia on Friday vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that demanded Moscow to stop its attack on Ukraine. The resolution that would have asked Russia to withdraw all troops from Ukraine gained 11 votes to 1 against as Russia vetoed it. China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained from the vote. The UNSC resolution came up to vote after Russia launched a full-fledged military attack on Ukraine, killing at least 137 civilians and military personnel on the first day.

The draft resolution vetoed by Russia is being looked at as a win by Western countries as it showed Russia's international isolation. The United Arab Emirates and India abstained from the vote on the US-drafted resolution while the remaining 11 council members voted in favour of the same. The US and other supporters of the resolution knew it wouldn't pass as Russia was clear to veto it at the UNSC. However, those in favour argued that the vote highlighted Russia's international isolation.

The draft resolution is now expected to be taken up by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly. "We are united behind Ukraine and its people, despite a reckless, irresponsible permanent member of the Security Council abusing its power to attack its neighbour and subvert the U.N. and our international system," US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after Russia cast its veto vote at the UNSC. Russia holds the Security Council veto power, along with the United States, China, France and Britain.

Following the vote, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia thanked the Security Council members who did not support the draft. He described the draft as anti-Russian and said, "Your draft resolution is nothing other than yet another brutal, inhumane move in this Ukrainian chessboard.”

Meanwhile, a rare round of applause was heard in the Security Council chamber after Ukraine's UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya held a moment of silence during his statement to remember those killed in the ongoing war.

India abstains from UNSC vote

India along with China and UAE abstained from voting at the UNSC. “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,” said India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti at the UNSC meeting. Furthermore, explaining India’s stance on the vote, he said that the ‘path of diplomacy was given up’.

“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,” Tirumurti said. China also abstained from voting and said that the security of one country cannot come at the cost of undermining the security of other nations.

“We believe that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states should be respected and that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld,” said China’s permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun.

“Security of one country cannot come at the cost of undermining the security of other nations…China abstained in the vote…Ukraine should become a bridge between East and West,” he said at the UNSC meeting.

Following the vote, the representatives of the US and the UK slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that it wasn’t a surprise that Russia vetoed the vote. UK Ambassador to UN, Barbara Woodward, condemned the recent attack by Russia and said that Putin’s aim is to remove its govt and subjugate people. “This is not self-defence. It is naked aggression,” she said.

(With ANI inputs)

Image: AP/ ANI