By Arul Louis United Nations, Aug 25 : Breaking its streak of abstentions from votes related to Ukraine, India has voted on a procedural issue that Russia opposed in the UN Security Council.
Contrary to Moscow’s position India was one of 12 members of the Council to vote in favour of an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to address the Council via a video link from a remote.
China abstained in the vote, and Russia naturally opposed the invitation however, since it was a procedure issue it was not considered a decision to veto.
As the meeting began Russia’s Permanent Representative Vassily Nbenzia, who was opposed to Zelensky’s arrangement for video links, demanded he must come in on his own into the Council chamber and demand the vote that ended up revealing Moscow’s disengagement.
Although it was the first time that India has not abstained from an issue relating to Ukraine and was able to vote with the west A diplomatic source dismissed the significance of the vote.
The source claimed that Wednesday’s vote differed from issues India abstained on, and that they were more significant.
“It was (only) either way Zelensky’s involvement” in the meeting through video links the source emphasized.
When speaking at the conference India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj remained loyal to the distinctive New Delhi version of neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.
The gathering took place on the day of double significance for Ukraine -the day of its independence and the six-month anniversary since Russia began its ongoing invasion of Kiev on February 24.
The right to speak via video link following the vote Zelensky declared that the security of the world was contingent on how Russia’s invasion was handled.
“It is in the Ukraine territory of Ukraine where the future of the world will be determined,” Zelensky said, “our independence is your security”.
Kamboj did not mention Russia in the course of her remarks, as she talked of the war’s impact on Ukraine and its impact on the rest of the world.
She also did not she declare her support for Kiev without noting the humanitarian assistance India has given Ukraine.
“The conflict has resulted in the loss of lives and numerous hardships for its citizens especially women as well as children and the old people, with millions of people being homeless and being forced to seek shelter in neighboring nations,” she said, calling for an immediate halt to violence.
“We would like to see discussions between Ukraine and Russia (and) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has , at least once spoke to them in this regards.”
Modi has met with the presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and asked them to meet for talks on peaceful solution of the conflict.
In the meantime, Nbenzia blamed what he called Ukraine’s absurd “crusade” on the war and claimed Russia started the “special operation” in the wake of threats it posed.
(Arul Louis may be reached via [email protected] and he can be followed via @arulouis.)
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