Monitor News Desk
For the second time, India and China abstained from voting in United Nations over the Ukraine issue.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Sunday called for a rare emergency special session of the 193 member-strong UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The decision to take a United States (US)-backed resolution deploring Russian aggression and calling it to withdraw forces from Ukraine to the GA was backed by 11 members, while India — along with China and United Arab Emirates (UAE) — abstained from the vote. Since this was a procedural vote, Russia’s veto was not applicable.
The UNGA emergency session will be held on Monday.
In its explanation of the vote, India maintained its partially critical stance on Russia it had taken in Friday’s UNSC meeting. However, focusing on principles and without naming Russia, India emphasized the importance of a return to the diplomatic path, and flagged the importance of the safety of its nationals and the need to ensure smooth cross-border movement as a humanitarian necessity.
