India chose to abstain in a historic United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote demanding that Russia leave Ukraine “immediately.” Countries condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a historic vote at the UNGA on Thursday. The assembly “overwhelmingly” urged that Russia leave Kyiv “immediately,” calling for “just and lasting” peace.
The motion received 141 votes in favor, 32 abstentions, including China and India, and seven votes against it in the assembly.
It also urged that the Russian Federation “immediately, totally, and unconditionally remove all of its military forces from Ukraine’s territory within its internationally recognized borders,” as well as a “cease-fire.”
The decision follows two days of debate during which Kyiv encouraged the international community to choose “between good and evil.”
Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity” were reaffirmed in the resolution.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during the debate said, “next year, we should not meet here to mark the second anniversary of this senseless war of aggression.”
“Russia can and must stop tomorrow,” stated French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.
Notwithstanding these votes, Russia rejected the resolution, in which its representative Vasily Nebenzya referred to Ukraine as “neo-Nazi” and accused the West of abandoning the country and the world’s progress in order to defeat Moscow.
“They are ready to plunge the entire world into the abyss of war” to maintain their own “hegemony,” Nebenzya said.
The vote also demonstrated that India and China were not persuaded to condemn Russia’s incursion outright, despite their criticism of Moscow’s threats to use weapons in the fight.