February 26, 2022—Even as much of the world rallies moral and financial support for Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked invasion, a few countries refused to condemn the attacks and the violation of international law.
India, China and the UAE Abstain From Resolution
The United Nations Security Council–the primary international body for settling disputes—has been holding multiple meetings on the situation in Ukraine. On Friday, the Security Council considered a resolution sponsored by 52 countries. The resolution’s intent was to hold Russia accountable for its military actions and to uphold the value of protecting civilians.
As a permanent member of the council, Russia has veto power, and it exercised that on Friday. However, the resolution garnered widespread support among diplomats on and off the council. A few, however, abstained from the vote.
India Expresses ‘Regret’
Though India’s representative said its country is “deeply disturbed” by the violence in Ukraine, he refused to even name the aggressor in the violence. Furthermore, he went on to express regret, again without mentioning names or subjects.
“Dialogue is the only answer for 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,” the representative said.
Then, in a statement that made little sense, India’s representative said the country is abstaining from the resolution “for all these reasons.”
As of Feb. 26, India’s representative to the UN had not posted the statement on its official page. In many of the previous Security Council meetings on Ukraine, India was just as weak.
India Economic Deals With Russia
It should be noted, that India and Russia strengthened their relations in 2021 and made a series of economic deals. According to previous reporting by the GER, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a strategic partnership last December. They also signed cooperation agreements on cyber security, technology protection, space, and education. Furthermore, trade between the two countries increased 38 percent since 2020.
Putin-Modi Talk
Meanwhile, Putin took time out from heading up Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine to talk by phone with Modi on Thursday. According to the Indian Foreign Ministry readout of the call, Modi urged Putin to stop the violence and settle his differences with NATO through dialogue. Finally, the “leaders agreed that their officials and diplomatic teams would continue to maintain regular contacts on issues of topical interest.”
Today, Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky and expressed deep sympathy.
UAE Unclear Action And Comments
It’s not clear why the UAE abstained from Friday’s proposed resolution. The country’s representative Amb. Lana Nusseibeh called for respect for international humanitarian law and “urged for desescalation.” While she said the UAE supports the “emphasis” of the resolution on the need to support international law, she did not explain her reasons for abstaining. She only added that, the result of the vote on the resolution was “a forgone conclusion.”
According to Bloomberg News, the UAE’s foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Monday.
China’s Will Put To The Test
Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine tests China’s deeply held view that countries should not violate another country’s territorial integrity.
China, which recently strengthened its partnership with Russia, continually emphasizes support for what it says are Russia’s “legitimate security concerns.” By that, China is referring to the NATO alliance.
“We?believe?that?one?country’s?security?cannot?be?at?the?expense?of?the?security?of?others?and?that?regional?security?should?not?rely?on?muscling?up?or?even?expanding?military?blocs.?The?legitimate?security?concerns?of?all?countries?should?be?respected,” China’s UN Amb. Zhang Jun said at Friday’s meeting.
However, Zhang called on all parties to “abandon Cold War mentality” and “immediately” come back to the negotiating table.
“Ukraine?should?become?a?bridge?between?the?East?and?the?West,?not?an?outpost?for?confrontation?between?major?powers.?We?strongly?call?on?all?parties?concerned?to?exercise?maximum?restraint,?ease?tensions,?and?avoid?civilian?casualties,” Zhang said.
It remains to be seen how long China will be patient with its partner’s violation of international law.
‘No Middle Ground’
US Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, meanwhile, emphasized that only one country invaded another. “There is no middle ground,” she said. The premise of the resolution focused on upholding the UN Charter, Thomas-Greenfield said.
“This vote showed which countries truly believe in supporting the core principles of the UN – and which ones deploy them as convenient catchphrases. This vote showed which Security Council members support the UN Charter – and which ones do not,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
After the meeting, she stood with dozens of other diplomats to speak with the press. She said she and the other diplomats plan to take their resolution to the UN General Assembly, “where Russia does not have veto power.”
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