For the first time, India voted against Russia in the procedural UNSC vote. Here’s more on the latest meeting.
India votes against Russia at the UNSC meeting
On Wednesday, India voted against Russia during a procedural vote at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The 15-member UN body invited Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the council meeting through teleconference. This is the first time that India voted against Russia on the issue of military agression that started in February. Currently, India is a non-permanent member of the two-year term at UNSC. The term is ending in December.
India did not criticize Russia for its aggression but kept calling upon the Ukrainian and Russian sides to return to the path of dialogue and distance. New Delhi also expressed support for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. As of now, New Delhi has refrained from the UNSC meeting on Ukraine much to the annoyance of the West. Western countries including the US have imposed several strict restrictions on Russia following the invasion.
More on the council meeting
Wednesday’s meeting was held for taking stock of the current situation as the Russia-Ukraine conflict reached the six-month mark on Ukraine’s 31st independence day. In the meeting, Vassily A Nebenzia requested a procedural vote related to President Zelenskyy’s participation. Nebenzia is the Russian Ambassador to the UN who insisted Russia does not oppose his participation but insisted it was in-person. The council had a vote of 13 in favor and one against. Russia voted against the invitation while China abstained from voting.
“If Moscow is not stopped now, then all these Russian murderers will inevitably end up in other countries. It is on the territory of Ukraine that the world’s future will be decided. Our independence is your security,” stated Zekenskyy in his remarks. He called for Russia to be held accountable for its crimes and aggression against Ukraine. He also alleged that Russia is also guilty of placing the world on the brink of a nuclear catastrophe as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was turned into a war zone. “Its disinformation campaigns are increasingly being weaponized to prepare for further attempts to annex Ukrainian territory,” stated Linda Thomas Greenfield. greenfield is the US Ambassador to the UN. She also alleged that “Russia’s goal is as clear as ever: to dismantle Ukraine as a geopolitical entity and erase it from the world map”.