India abstains for 6th, 7th time on Ukraine resolution

Keeping up its streak of abstentions on Ukrainerelated resolutions at the UN India on Thursday abstained in rapid succession for the sixth and seventh time at the General Assembly which confronted duelling resolutionsThe Assembly approved a resolution on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine proposed by that country criticising Russias role but it throttled another put forward by South Africa that did not mention MoscowIndias Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti said at the Assemblys emergency session that New Delhi abstained on the resolution proposed by Ukraine because it did not fully reflect Indias expected focus on on cessation of hostilities and on urgent humanitarian assistanceThe resolution squarely blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis that was proposed by Ukraine with the backing of about 90 countries passed with 140 votes with five against and 37 abstentionsIt had more than the required twothirds majority to pass On a procedural matter raised by Ukraine the Assembly voted not to take up South Africas resolution effectively killing itIt called for humanitarian aid ceasefire and safe corridors for refugees and assistance but without criticising Russia As many as 65 countries were against taking up South Africas resolution while 49 wanted it voted upon and 33 abstainedTirumurti said that humanitarian assistance should be based on humanity neutrality impartiality and independence and should not be politicisedWe firmly believe efforts at the United Nations should contribute to deescalation of the conflict facilitate immediate cessation of hostilities to promote dialogue and diplomacy and bring together parties to find an immediate end to the suffering of the people he saidSpeaking to reporters after the vote US Permanent Representative Linda ThomasGreenfield said What I say and what I said to the countries who abstained previously is that theres no neutral ground here Were watching every day what is happening in Ukraine And we have to stand with the Ukrainian peopleBut on Wednesday India had joined the US in abstaining at the Security Council on a resolution submitted by Russia on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine which failed because only China joined in voting for it while all the other 13 countries abstained depriving it of the required nine votes to passIndia did not speak at the Council on its abstentionIndia had earlier abstained on an Assembly resolution that was carried condemning Russias invasion and in the Council on two procedural votes related to Ukraine and on a resolution censuring Moscows invasion that was vetoed by RussiaRussia had withdrawn its request for a vote on its Council resolution last Friday but suddenly called for a vote on it on Wednesday in a failed attempt to upstage the Assembly voteRussias resolution made several proposals to deal with the humanitarian situation but of course did not refer to its invasion which is the reason for the abstention by the US and its alliesVetoing the resolution would have opened them up to propaganda campaigns ignoring the contextThe resolution proposed by South Africa at the Assembly called for a cessation of hostilities and for a comprehensive humanitarian response but it also would not have named RussiaIn calling for a vote against taking it up Ukraines Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya denounced it as a twin brother of Russias Council resolutionSouth Africas Permanent Representative Mathu Joyini said While we should not ignore the context that gave rise to this crisis and nor should we ignore any violations of the UN Charter and international law that should not ever divert our focus from the fact we ought to be immediately doingSouth Africa resisted tremendous pressure from the US and its allies to drop its resolutionUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken called South Africas Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor on Wednesday to dissuade Pretoria from going ahead with the resolution saying that there should be a unified international response to Russias invasionJoyini said that there should be no attempt to muzzle countries seeking independently to find solutionsThe vast majority of countries in this assembly have never invaded or colonised other countries yet have suffered the consequences There are a few powerful countries that have been parties to most of these conflicts often in the form of proxy wars in other countries or regions she saidIn Iraq for example over 24 million people are reported to have died since 2003 the year of the USled invasion she assertedBeijing cosponsored South Africas resolution and Chinas Permanent Representative Zhang Jun said that developing countries were not parties to the Ukraine conflict and should not be drawn into it and forced to pick a side as friend or foeSeveral countries including Brazil Malaysia and Indonesia which voted for Ukraines resolution said that they did not see a contradiction between it and South Africas for which they would have also votedIndias Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla who had come to New York on Tuesday in the midst of heated diplomatic activity left for India on Wednesday ahead of the Assembly votesTirumurti said at the Assembly India continues to remain deeply concerned at the ongoing situation which has rapidly been deteriorating since the beginning of the hostilitiesWe have constantly called for cessation of hostilities The humanitarian situation continues to worsen particularly in the conflict zones in urban areas Women children and elderly are disproportionately affected by the prolonged prolonging of this conflict he saidWe hope the international community will continue to respond positively to the humanitarian needs of Ukraine he saidIndia has already sent over 90 tons of humanitarian including medicines and essential supplies to Ukraine and its neighbours and will provide more he addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability 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