India Refrains From Backing UN Resolution Against Russian Offensive In Ukraine

India has abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution that urged Russia to immediately end its aggression against Ukraine and withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, news agency PTI reported.

The resolution was adopted with 99 votes in favour, nine against, and 60 abstentions, including from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and Syria were among the countries that voted against it.

The resolution demanding Russia end its offensive in Ukraine was passed shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During their talks, PM Modi highlighted the impact of the Ukraine conflict, including the deaths of children over the two-year-long war.

The UN resolution, titled 'Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,' called for Russia to "immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."

The resolution also demanded that Russia urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and hand it over to Ukraine to ensure the facility's safety and security.

It called for the "immediate cessation of the attacks" by Russia against Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure, which increases the risk of a nuclear accident.

Introduced by Ukraine, the draft resolution was sponsored by over 50 member states, including France, Germany, and the US.

Before the vote on the resolution, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy criticised the UN General Assembly for adopting many non-consensual and politicised documents that he claimed did not reflect reality.

"Make no mistake: votes in favour of today's draft will be regarded by Kyiv, Washington, Brussels and London as evidence of support for their policy of further escalating the Ukrainian conflict to the detriment of steps taken by a sensible part of the international community to find a peaceful, sustainable and long-term solution to the conflict," he said.

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