NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI/UNITED NATIONS, FEB 26
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over the current situation in his country and urged India for its political support in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against Russia which is continuing its military operations in Ukraine.
Spoke with 🇮🇳 Prime Minister @narendramodi. Informed of the course of 🇺🇦 repulsing 🇷🇺 aggression. More than 100,000 invaders are on our land. They insidiously fire on residential buildings. Urged 🇮🇳 to give us political support in🇺🇳 Security Council. Stop the aggressor together!
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
Taking to Twitter, Zelenskyy said, “Spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Informed of the course of Ukraine repulsing Russian aggression. More than 100,000 invaders are on our land. They insidiously fire on residential buildings. Urged India to give us political support in UN Security Council. Stop the aggressor together!” Notably, Russia on Friday (local time) vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Ukraine, while India, China, and UAE abstained from the vote. The vote was 11 in favour, one against, and three abstentions. India abstained from voting saying that the path of the “diplomacy was given up”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday also urged Germany and Hungary to back Russia’s expulsion from the SWIFT banking system as Moscow continues its military operation in Ukraine.
“We have almost full support from EU countries about disconnecting Russia from SWIFT. I hope Germany and Hungary will have the courage to support this decision,” Zelenskyy said in a video address that was posted on his Telegram channel, Sputnik News Agency reported today. Zelenskyy said also that Ukraine has a right to EU membership, and achieving this would be a key sign of support for the country.
“This is the decisive moment to close one and for all the multi-year strategic discussion, make a decision on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. I discussed this with Charles Michele, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron,” Zelenskyy said, as per Sputnik.
However, as per reports, the decision of whether to cut Russia off from the SWIFT international financial network or not will be made within a few days.
India abstains on resolution condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine
UNSC’s consideration of the draft resolution on Ukraine
📺Watch: India’s Explanation of Vote by Permanent Representative @AmbTSTirumurti ⤵️@MeaIndia pic.twitter.com/UB2L5JLuyS
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) February 25, 2022
In UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine today, India abstained on the vote on draft resolution.
Our Explanation of Vote ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/w0yQf5h2wr
— Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) February 25, 2022
India, along with China and the United Arab Emirates, has abstained on a Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The resolution proposed by the US and Albania with the backing of nearly 60 countries received 11 votes in favour, giving it a majority in the 15-member Council, but was nullified by the Russian veto on Friday evening.
The resolution sought to declare that Russia has committed acts of aggression against Ukraine.and the situation is a breach of international peace and security.
It would also have demanded that Russia immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine and completely withdraw its military forces from within Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.
Explaining the abstention, India’s Permanent Representative, T.S. Tirumurti said, “It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it.”
“Dialogue is the only answer to the settling of differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment,” he added.
Without naming Russia, Tirumurti, however, said, “India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine.”
But taking a neutral stance, he added, “We urge that all efforts are made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities.”
India’s abstention followed a call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
But US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken called India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar to press the case for voting for the resolution.
India’s abstention is a bump in the road to closer relations with the US and the West.
US Permanent Representative, Linda Thomas Greenfield made the voting on the resolution a litmus test for how countries stand with the US.
“There is no middle ground,” she said before the vote.
And after the vote, she added, “This vote showed which countries truly believe in supporting the core principles of the UN and which ones deployed them as convenient catchphrases. This vote showed which Security Council members support the UN Charter and which ones do not.”
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities. Later, Putin ordered special military operations “to protect” the people in the Donbas region.
Several countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations and imposed sanctions on Moscow.
