For the first time, India has voted against Russia during a ‘procedural vote’ in the UN Security Council on the Ukraine issue. News from NDTV.
On Wednesday, the United Nations convened a meeting to review the six-month-long conflict in Ukraine on the occasion of Ukraine’s 31st Independence Day. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, one of the most powerful of the 15 UN members, was invited to address a meeting via video tele-conference.
This is the first time India has voted against Russia on the Ukraine issue since Russia’s military operation began in February. New Delhi has so far abstained in the UN Security Council on Ukraine due to the irritation of Western powers led by the US.
Following the invasion, Western countries, including the United States, imposed major economic and other sanctions on Russia.
India is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term, which will expire in December.
As the meeting at the United Nations began, Russian Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia requested a procedural vote on the participation of the President of Ukraine in the meeting via video tele-conference.
Following his and Albania’s Ferit Hoxar’s statement, the Council extended an invitation to Zelenskiy to attend the meeting via video teleconference. Russia voted against such an invitation and China abstained.
Nebenzia emphasized that Russia does not oppose Zelensky’s participation, but such participation must be in person.
13 countries including India were against the Russian ambassador. They all supported Zelensky addressing the council via video conference.
Zelensky later called on the Russian Federation to be held accountable for crimes of aggression in a video conference, saying, ‘If Moscow is not stopped now, all these Russian murderers will inevitably start in other countries. It is on the territory of Ukraine that the future of the world will be decided. Our freedom is your security.
Ambassadors from France, Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom, Gabon, Ghana, Mexico and China and observers from the European Union also spoke at the event.
Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on Wednesday, marking six months since the Russian invasion of the country.
(25 Aug)