India has voted against Russia’s demand for a secret ballot on a draft resolution to condemn Moscow’s annexation of four regions in Ukraine. On Monday (October 10), the 193-UNGA members took up a motion by Albania to draft a resolution condemning Russia for its illegal annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions in Ukraine to be taken by vote.
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India’s EAM Jaishankar during a joint press conference on Sunday refused to disclose India’s stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, he said that India has never supported the idea of ‘war.’
Russia in UNGA demanded a secret ballot. Amongst the present members, 107 members voted against Russia’s demand for a secret ballot including India. 13 nations voted in favor of Russia’s demand, while the remaining 39 members abstained. Russia and China were amongst the countries that did not vote.
Watch | UN publicly reject Russia’s demand for secret ballot on draft resolution on Ukraine
After getting its demand rejected, Russia sought reconsideration of the decision in motion by Albania. However, the UNGA did not reconsider the motion with 100 nations including India voting against the ‘reconsideration.’ 16 countries voted in favor and 34 abstained.
Russia’s permanent membership of the UNGA said that the UN membership has become a witness to fraud in which the UNGA president played a key role. Vassily Nebenzia said, “We were not given the floor to make a point of order (the indicator light at our seat is still on), our statement was distorted, and now UN member states are being robbed of their right to express their opinion freely.” He continued, “This is an unprecedented manipulation undermining the authority of the general assembly and the United Nations as a whole. Of course, in such circumstances we opted to not take part in the vote,” PTI reported.
Also read | EAM Jaishankar refuses to disclose India’s upcoming UN vote on Russia
Following the meeting, Ukraine denounced Russia as a ‘terrorist state.’ UN’s ambassador to the UN said, “Russia has proven once again that this is a terrorist state that must be deterred in the strongest possible ways.” He further added, “Unfortunately, you can hardly call for a stable and sane peace as long as an unstable and insane dictatorship exists in your vicinity,” AFP reported.
However, India till now has not yet condemned the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine enters its seventh month. Will it come to an end?
(With inputs from agenices)
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