India abstains for 5th time on UN Ukraine resolution

India has abstained for the fifth time on a UN resolution on Ukraine but this time it was on a Russiasponsored resolution in the Security Council and New Delhi was on the side of Washington and its alliesThe resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine cosponsored by Belarus North Korea and Syria failed on Wednesday even without a veto as it got only the votes of Russia and China while all the other 13 Council members abstained depriving it of the minimum of nine votes needed to passUnlike during the past abstentions relating to Ukraine India kept silent on this vote the first time it sided with the West even if only through an abstentionIndias Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla who was in New York and had spoken at the Council on Wednesday morning on relations with the Arab League was noticeably absent when the Russian resolution was taken upDeputy Permanent Representative R Ravindra was in Indias chair at the Council where he raised his hand to record the abstention but did not speak either on the resolution or explain the decision to abstain as India had done beforeIndia had earlier abstained in the Council on two procedural votes related to Ukraine and on a resolution condemning Moscows invasion that was vetoed by RussiaAt the Assembly it was one of 35 countries abstaining on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion although the measure was carried by an overwhelming majority of 141 in the 193member bodyWednesdays Council vote took place amid a flurry of diplomatic activity across the UN and a tangle of resolutions and had all the makings of a diplomatic chess game only to see Russia checkmatedIn a Moscow manoeuvre the vote on the resolution took place while the General Assembly was discussing a resolution from Ukraine with the backing of about 90 countries condemning Russias invasionThe resolution is almost certain to pass in the Assembly and therefore Russia wanted to preempt it by asking for a vote on its version in the Council ahead of the Ukraine resolution even though it had cancelled a request for a vote on it on FridayFrance and Mexico had proposed a Council resolution calling for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine but it had languished under the threat of a Russian veto and two countries wanted it taken up in the Assembly where no one has veto powerSouth Africa which like India is trying to stay neutral had also suggested a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine which would not condemn Russia but did not introduce it when the Assembly met on WednesdayThe South African resolution was opposed by the Western countries which want an express condemnation of the Russian invasion as the cause of the humanitarian crisisThe meeting on Ukraine was not on the Councils original agenda but was added Wednesday morning at Moscows request for 3 pm and then pushed to 5 pm amid Russias desperate diplomacyRussias Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia asserted that Moscows resolution was on the lines of the FranceMexico resolution but free from any politicising and in that analogous to other humanitarian resolutions of the CouncilIt called for a ceasefire unhindered evacuation access to humanitarian aid prohibition of attacks on infrastructure and a call not to place heavy military equipment in civil areas he saidHe asked the US Why did you abstain You could have vetoed itThe US France and the UK did not want to veto it because it could be used out of context by the Moscow propaganda machine and they knew it would fail because it could not muster the needed nine votesThe US and its allies called the Russian manoeuvre a cynical attempt to evade responsibility for its invasion and to divert attention away from the continuing catastrophe it is causingUS Permanent Representative Linda ThomasGreenfield called Russias move unconscionableRussia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions or the millions of lives and dreams the war has shattered If they cared they would stop fightingChina which like India had abstained on the two substantive resolutions on Ukraine voted this time with RussiaAlthough it may be interpreted as signalling a slight shift in its position of not directly backing Russia at the UN Beijings Permanent Representative Zhang Jun also said On Ukraine China has always insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respectedHe said that China was voting for it because the top priority is to prevent large scale humanitarian crisisThe MexicoFrance draft resolution failed to transcend political differences and seek a consensus he saidIndia will again be made to take a stand on the Russian invasion when the Ukraine resolutions come to a vote in the AssemblyNew Delhi has faced pressure from the US and its allies to side with them against Russia but has also met with a measure of understanding over its extreme reliance on Moscow for defence needs on which depend Indias role in the IndoPacific to counter Chinas aggressivenessWhile US President Joe Biden called Indias stand on Russia somewhat shaky State Department Spokesperson Ned Price has explained that New Delhis reliance on Moscow came about when the West was not prepared for deep defence ties with itDespite that we are a partner of choice for India now as are many of our partners and allies around the world he saidBidens Spokesperson Jen Psaki also said that the US recognised that India had different economic reasoning for buying Russian oilThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever