India, 12 others abstain in UNSC on vote on Russian-led draft resolution on Ukraine

United Nations: India, along with 12 other UN Security Council members, abstained on a resolution by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The draft resolution by Russia was cosponsored by Syria, North Korea and Belarus. It failed to get adopted in the Council on Wednesday as it did not get the required nine yes votes to pass.

Russia and China voted in favour of the resolution while there were no countries voting against. India and the remaining Security Council members abstained.

Permanent and veto-welding Council member Russia had called for a vote in the 15-nation Security Council on its draft resolution that “demands that civilians, including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations, including women and children are fully protected, calls for negotiated ceasefire for enabling safe, rapid, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of civilians, and underscores the need for the parties concerned to agree on humanitarian pauses to this end”.

The Russian resolution, which makes no reference to its invasion of Ukraine, calls upon all parties concerned to allow safe and unhindered passage to destinations outside of Ukraine, including to foreign nationals without discrimination, and facilitate safe and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in need in and around Ukraine, taking into account the particular needs of women, girls, men and boys, older persons and persons with disabilities.

While other Council members made statements after the vote on the resolution, India did not make any statement. India had previously abstained on two occasions in the Security Council and once in the General Assembly on resolutions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.