India for the primary time on Wednesday voted towards Russia throughout a “procedural vote” on the United Nations Security Council on Ukraine, because the 15-member highly effective UN physique invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to handle a gathering by means of a video tele-conference.
This is for the primary time that India has voted towards Russia on the problem of Ukraine, after the Russian navy motion started in February. So far, New Delhi has abstained on the UN Security Council on Ukraine, a lot to the annoyance of the Western powers led by the United States.
Western nations, together with the US, have imposed main financial and different sanctions on Russia following the aggression.
India has not criticised Russia for its aggression towards Ukraine. New Delhi has repeatedly referred to as upon the Russian and Ukrainian sides to return to the trail of diplomacy and dialogue, and likewise expressed its help for all diplomatic efforts to finish the battle between the 2 nations.
India at present is a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a two-year time period, which ends in December.
On Wednesday, the UNSC held a gathering to take inventory of the now six-month-old battle on the thirty first anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
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As the assembly started, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily A Nebenzia requested a procedural vote regarding Ukrainian President’s participation within the assembly by video tele-conference.
Following statements by him and Ferit Hoxha of Albania, the Council prolonged an invite to Zelensky to take part within the assembly through video tele-conference by a vote of 13 in favour to at least one towards. Russia voted towards such an invite, whereas China abstained.
Nebenzia insisted that Russia doesn’t oppose Zelensky’s participation, however such participation should be in-person. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council determined to work nearly, however such conferences have been casual and, after the pandemic’s peak, the Council returned to the provisional guidelines of process, he argued.
Reiterating that his nation’s objection pertains particularly to the President’s participation by video tele-conference, he referred to as for a procedural vote on this matter, to which India and 12 different nations didn’t agree and supported Zelensky to handle the Council through video convention.
Albania’s Hoxha argued that Ukraine is at conflict, and the state of affairs in that nation requires the President to be there. Due to this distinctive state of affairs, he supported Zelensky’s participation through video tele-conference and urged different members to do the identical.
Nebenzia regretted that Council members had spoken out towards complying with the principles of the organ. “We can understand the logic of Kyiv’s Western backers…,” he mentioned, expressing disappointment that different members contributed to the erosion of the Council’s very basis and practices.
Soon thereafter, Zelensky in his remarks through a video convention referred to as for the Russian Federation to be held accountable for its crimes of aggression towards Ukraine. “If Moscow is not stopped now, then all these Russian murderers will inevitably end up in other countries,” he mentioned.
“It is on the territory of Ukraine that the world’s future will be decided,” he added. “Our independence is your security,” he advised the UNSC.
Zelensky alleged that Russia has positioned the world getting ready to nuclear disaster by turning the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant right into a conflict zone. The plant has six reactors — just one exploded at Chernobyl — and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should take everlasting management of the state of affairs as quickly as doable, he mentioned.
The Ukrainian President referred to as on Russia to stop its “nuclear blackmail” and fully withdraw from the plant.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed grave concern over the state of affairs in and across the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, underscoring that “the warning lights are flashing”.
Any actions that may endanger the bodily integrity, security or safety of the plant are unacceptable, and any additional escalation of the state of affairs may result in self-destruction, he mentioned and referred to as for the safety of the plant to be ensured, for the ability to be re-established as purely civilian infrastructure and for the IAEA to conduct a mission to the positioning as quickly as doable.
Guterres additionally expressed concern over alleged violations of worldwide humanitarian legislation.
US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield alleged that “Russia’s aim is as clear as ever: to dismantle Ukraine as a geopolitical entity and erase it from the world map.
“Its disinformation campaigns are increasingly being weaponised to prepare for further attempts to annex Ukrainian territory,” she mentioned.
However, the worldwide neighborhood won’t ever recognise Russia’s try to vary Ukraine’s borders by power, she advised the UN Security Council.
Noting that Ukraine had an impeccable document of nuclear vitality security and safety on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, she mentioned the Russian Federation recklessly attacked and seized management of that website by power, risking nuclear catastrophe.
The American envoy voiced concern about Moscow’s “so-called filtration operation”, which includes the systematic and compelled deportation of Ukrainian civilians to distant areas of the Russian Federation.
Envoys from France, Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom, Gabon, Ghana, Mexico and China, together with the European Union in its capability as observers additionally spoke on the event.
Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on Wednesday, which additionally marked precisely six months because the begin of Russia’s navy offensive towards the nation on February 24.
