India's opinion of Abstention

India's Opinion Of Abstention

India’s abstention from the vote on the draft resolution with the text “deploring in the strongest terms” Russia for its operations inside Ukraine was no surprise, given the fine balance Delhi has sought to strike between crucial partnerships with both Moscow and Western allies over the last month of the escalating crisis.

The US envoy to the UN said after the vote that “there is no middle ground” and that it would be taken next to the General Assembly “where Russia has no veto”. That is where India’s next challenge came. In an explanation of India’s vote, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN T S Tirumurti said “India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine. We urge that all efforts are made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities''.

“Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment. It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution,” Tirumurti said.

With this India has managed to hold its balancing act for another day, despite the considerable pressures from the West to get off the fence, as well as pressures from Russia.