Geneva / United Nations / Washington: India refrained from voting on the anti-Russian resolution moved by the UN Human Rights Commission on the Ukraine conflict. India decided to remain absent during the voting on the resolution on Thursday. At the same time, US White House Media Secretary Jen Psaki has said that the US will hold talks with India and other countries regarding the sanctions imposed on Russia. Jen Psaki also recalled in suggestive terms the help given by the US to India during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to a resolution submitted to the Human Rights Commission, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused a ‘massive humanitarian catastrophe’ and human rights abuses. The resolution calls for an immediate halt to the Ukraine conflict. Since the nature of the resolution was anti-Russian, India decided to remain absent during the vote on the resolution. Thirty-three countries voted in favour of the resolution, while China and Eritrea opposed it. Besides, India, Pakistan, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Namibia, Senegal, Sudan, Armenia, Bolivia, and Cameroon abstained from voting.
India’s permanent representative to the UN, Indra Mani Pandey, explained India’s position in this regard. India’s clear position is that diplomatic negotiations are the only way to stop the Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again maintained this stand. Pandey pointed out that India has been firm on this from the very beginning and has been taking decisions in line with this. Meanwhile, while addressing a press conference, White House Media Secretary Jen Psaki informed that the US is in talks with India regarding sanctions on Russia. Psaki appears to have re-reminded the threat to India by saying that US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh had recently visited India for the same.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is on South Korea and Japan tour. Psaki has informed that President Biden will also visit India and Australia, which are members of the Quad. But we cannot give the details now, Psaki added.
Talks of Biden’s visit to South Korea have just begun. A new government has come to power in South Korea. The new President, Yoon Suk-yeol, has adopted an aggressive stance against North Korea and China. There is talk that the US is considering involving South Korea in the Quad in such a situation. Unlike other Quad member states, India had refrained from opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There were then indications that the US had started considering South Korea as an alternative to India in the Quad. South Korean media has published the news.
