India raises three pertinent questions on abstaining from UN vote on Russia-Ukraine war

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj reiterated India's stand that the country is steadfastly committed to multilateralism and upholds the principles of the UN Charter.

Despite many countries including the US, Germany and Ukraine reaching out to India seeking its support for the UN resolution that called for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and demanding the withdrawal of its forces, India remained firm on its stand by abstaining from voting in the UN General Assembly.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, put forward by Ukraine and its supporters, titled 'Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine'.

The resolution, which got 141 votes in favour and 7 against, "underscores the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations." India was among the 32 countries that abstained.

Why did India Abstain?
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj raised a few pertinent questions on India's decision to abstain from voting in a UN General Assembly resolution.

"Are we anywhere near a possible solution acceptable to both sides? Can any process that does not involve either of the two sides, ever lead to a credible and meaningful solution? Has the UN system, and particularly its principal organ, the UN Security Council, based on a 1945-world construct, not been rendered ineffective to address contemporary challenges to global peace and security?" Kamboj said.

She then reiterated India's stand that the country is steadfastly committed to multilateralism and upholds the principles of the UN Charter and said "we will always call for dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable way out. While we take note of the stated objectives of today's resolution, given its inherent limitations in reaching our desired goal of securing a lasting peace, we are constrained to abstain."

She stressed that India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine, noting that the conflict has resulted in the loss of countless lives and misery, particularly for women, children, and the elderly, with millions becoming homeless and forced to seek shelter in neighbouring countries. Reports of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are also deeply concerning, she added.

"We also note the emphasis on increasing support by member states for diplomatic efforts to achieve peace, as well as support for the Secretary General's efforts to promote a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. However, reports from the ground portray a complex scenario, with the conflict intensifying on several fronts," she said.

It has to be noted that General Assembly resolutions are not binding unlike the Security Council resolutions and carry mainly symbolic weight at the United Nations.

Since the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, India has abstained from the UN resolutions on Ukraine and consistently underlined the need to respect the UN Charter, international law and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. New Delhi has also urged that all efforts be made for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that "we do not live in an era of war" and underlined that escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one's interest.

However, the Western countries, which have been critical of India's oil imports from Russia, has been batting for India to play a lead role in finding a solution to end the ongoing war.