Digital Desk: India cast its first anti-Russian vote on Wednesday during a "procedural vote" on Ukraine at the 15-member, influential UN Security Council, which invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address a meeting via video teleconference.
After the Russian
military intervention started in February, India has never before voted against
Russia on the topic of Ukraine. New Delhi has so far refrained from voting on
Ukraine in the UN Security Council, much to the chagrin of the Western nations
led by the United States.
Following the
aggression, Western countries, particularly the US, sanctioned Russia severely
on the economic and other fronts.
Russia's actions
towards Ukraine has not received criticism from India. The Russian and Ukrainian
sides have been urged to resume the path of diplomacy and negotiation on
numerous occasions, and New Delhi has reaffirmed its support for all diplomatic
attempts to put an end to the crisis between the two nations.
India has a two-year
non-permanent membership in the UNSC that expires in December.
On the 31st
anniversary of Ukraine's independence, the UNSC convened a meeting on Wednesday
to review the conflict, which has been going on for six months.
Vassily A. Nebenzia,
the Russian ambassador to the UN, asked for a procedural vote to approve the
Ukrainian president's attendance in the meeting via video teleconference as the
meeting got underway.
The UNSC membership of
India, which is non-permanent and only valid for two years, expires in
December.
The UNSC met on
Wednesday to discuss the crisis, which has been going on for six months, and
the 31st anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
As the meeting
started, Vassily A. Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, requested a
procedural vote to accept the Ukrainian president's participation in the
meeting via video teleconference.
Nebenzia insisted that
Russia does not oppose Zelensky’s participation, but such participation must be
in-person. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council decided to work virtually,
but such meetings were informal and, after the pandemic’s peak, the Council
returned to the provisional rules of procedure, he argued.
India and 12 other
nations disagreed with his request for a procedural vote on the issue and
supported Zelensky's decision to address the Council through video conference.
He reiterated that his country's objection relates exclusively to the
President's participation by video teleconference.
