Russia-Ukraine war: India, 12 others abstain from vote on Russian resolution at UNSC

New York, March 24: India, along with 12 other UN Security Council members, abstained from voting on a Russian-drafted resolution in the UN Security Council over a Ukraine humanitarian situation. The resolution has been widely criticized for not referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. India and UAE joined the West in abstaining from the resolution that failed at the UNSC meeting. Only Russia and China voted in favour and the remaining 13 members abstained. "Russia is the aggressor, the attacker the invader, the sole party in Ukraine, engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine. And they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the United Nations told the UNSC. "It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created," the US Ambassador to the United Nations continued. "If Russia cared about the humanitarian situation, it would stop bombing children and end their siege tactics. But they haven't," said Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward. Also Read | 'Rape is rape, be it by man or husband': Karnataka HC on marital rape China, the only country to support Russia by voting in favour of the resolution, noted that UNSC should play its role in the humanitarian situation in war-torn Ukraine. The Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, pointed to Beijing's six-point initiative and told the Security Council members that the vote in favour was a call to the international community to prioritise the humanitarian situation in conflict-hit Ukraine. The Russian Resolution, which made no mention of Moscow's role in Ukraine's crisis, called on all parties involved to allow safe and unhindered passage to destinations outside of Ukraine, including to foreign nationals without discrimination and to facilitate safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid to those in need in and around Ukraine, taking into account the specific needs of women, girls, men and boys, older people and people with disabilities. To be adopted, a Security Council resolution must have at least nine votes in favour and not be vetoed by Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, or the United States. Also Read | Inflation: CNG, PNG prices up by Rs 1 in Delhi; check new rates -PTC News