Why India abstained on the UNSC resolution on Russia

New Delhi, Feb 26: In the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine India abstained on the vote on the draft resolution.

T S Tirumurti, Ambassador of India to the United Nations said that India is deeply disturbed by the recent developments in Ukraine. We urge that all efforts are made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities, he said. No solution can be arrived at, at the cost of human lives, he further added.

We are deeply concerned about the welfare and security of the Indian community, including a large number of Indian students, he said. The contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, Tirumurti also added.

All members need to honour these principles in finding a constructive way forward, he said while also adding that dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at the moment.

It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up and we must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution, he concluded.

Russia while vetoing the resolution said, "you have made Ukraine a pawn in your geopolitical game, with no concern whatsoever about the interests of the Ukrainian people. It is nothing other than yet another brutal and inhuman move in this Ukrainian chessboard."

China said, "Russia's legitimate security aspirations should be given attention and addressed properly. Ukraine should become a bridge between east and west, not an outpost for confrontation among major powers."

Russia vetoed the resolution on Friday which deplored in the strongest terms the country's military action in Ukraine. The resolution demanded the immediate withdrawal of troops from Ukraine.

The motion co-written by the United States and Albania found favour from 11 of the 15 nations., India, China and the UAE attained.

The resolution was a no-go right from the start because of Moscow's veto power as a permanent member of the country.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after the vote, "let me make one thing clear. Russia, you can veto this resolution, but you cannot veto our voices, you cannot veto the truth, you cannot veto our principles, you cannot veto the Ukrainian people."

Make no mistake, Russia is isolated. It has no support for the invasion of Ukraine,, Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador to the UN said. We have a solemn obligation to not look away. At the very minimum, we have an obligation to object," Greenfield said.