India abstains in UNSC on vote on resolution by Russia on humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

United Nations, Mar 24 (PTI) India abstained in the UN Security Council on a vote on a draft resolution by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine on Wednesday.

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.” Russia and China voted in favour of the resolution while India was among 13 countries who abstained.

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. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is visiting the United Nations and addressed a Security Council briefing on Cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States chaired by Council President UAE.

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.

The Russian resolution in the Security Council was one of the three resolutions on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine that were put up before the UN General Assembly and the Security Council Wednesday. The UN General Assembly resumed its 11th Emergency Special Session on Ukraine Wednesday and had two resolutions for consideration before it.

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