India did not take part in the vote on the resolution against Russia. The Permanent Representative of India, TS Tirumurthy, announced at the Security Council meeting that he would not take part in the vote, citing proposals from the United States and its allies.
There were 11 votes in favor of the resolution against Russia. Apart from India, China and the United Arab Emirates did not take part in the vote. Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, has stated opposition to using force or imposing sanctions on Russia.
“India is deeply concerned about the recent developments in Ukraine,” Tirumurthy said. “We call for an immediate end to hostilities and violence,” he said. India, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, had earlier indicated that it was pursuing a “balanced diplomacy” on the situation in Ukraine. Evidence of this was also found in Gurumurthy’s speech on Saturday. The United States and its allies have strongly condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. New Delhi did not join the anti-Moscow initiative of the Western world.
On Monday night, the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine (collectively called Donbass) as independent states. It was later reported that Russian troops had infiltrated the two areas to help pro-Moscow separatist groups. An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was called for Tuesday. The United States and the European Union have called the Putin government’s decision a “blow to Ukraine’s sovereignty.” The countries said they would impose financial sanctions on Russia and take other steps.
But the Narendra Modi government did not join the decision of the western countries including America. Instead, Tirumurthy called for resolving the Ukraine crisis through renegotiation. “The situation is worrying,” he said. We must now take steps to achieve lasting peace and stability, taking into account the legitimate interests of all countries, “he said, referring to the 2014-15 Minsk agreement. That agreement on Ukraine has not yet been implemented.
“India would welcome discussions on a group of OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) member states from Europe, Russia, Ukraine and Germany,” he said, adding that Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France India is also in favor of Normandy level talks. “In the current context, constructive diplomacy is the only way forward,” Tirumurthy said.
India reiterated its concerns to the UN Security Council after Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday. “The Security Council met two days ago and discussed the situation,” Tirumurthy said. We called for a speedy reduction of tensions and for effective and rational diplomacy to address all issues related to the situation. But sadly, there has been no response to recent international efforts to defuse tensions. “