India, China and UAE have abstained from UNSC procedural voting for holding a session on Ukraine. While these three countries feel dialogue and diplomacy is the best way forward for a resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, the remaining 193 members would later tonight share their opinion on the UNSC procedural voting.
"This would give us a larger sense of the entire global sentiment. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN," TS Tirumurthi, in his Explanation of Vote (EOV) said it was regrettable that the situation in Ukraine had worsened. However, he reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the only way forward.
"Our Prime Minister has advocated this strongly in his recent conversations with the leadership of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In this regard, we welcome today’s announcement by both sides to hold talks at the Belarus border. Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the complex and
uncertain situation at the border crossings. It is important to maintain an uninterrupted and predictable movement of people. It is an urgent humanitarian necessity that must be immediately addressed. Taking into consideration the totality of the circumstances, we have decided to ABSTAIN," according to the Indian EOV.
The UAE too urged for a cessation of hostilities and said it was hopeful that the talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border would yield positive results.
"As we conveyed on Friday, the developments in Ukraine undermine regional and international peace and security. The UAE reiterates that the protection of civilians in Ukraine is of the utmost importance, particularly as the security situation escalates. We reiterate once again the absolute need to uphold the
principles of the UN Charter, in particular respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all Member States,’’ according to UAE’s EOV.
China’s Ambassador, at UNSC, Zhang Jun said they were witnessing dramatic changes in the Ukraine situation. He also said that their position on the Ukraine issue remains unchanged.
"We believe that the top priority now for all parties is to exercise necessary restraint to prevent the situation in Ukraine from getting worse. China supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and welcomes the earliest possible direct dialogue and
negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, China also supports the European side and Russia in conducting equal-footed dialogue on European security issues and upholding the principle of indivisible security, so as to eventually form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism,’’ according to China’s EOV.
While there is optimism that the talks between Russian Federation and Ukraine on the Belarus border will lead to a cease-fire in the war, we also hope that the votes that are cast on the procedural voting at UNSC for a special session on Ukraine help in restoring peace and stability.