News Analysis |
While there was little doubt over the outcome of the US-Albania sponsored UN Security Council draft Resolution on Friday criticising Russian referendums in four Ukrainian regions, given Russia’s veto-power, many Western diplomats had held out hope that India’s vote would have shifted from past “abstentions” to a “yes vote” on this occasion. One of the reasons was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in mid-September on the “era of war” having ended, that were interpreted as a snub to Mr. Putin, something French President Emmanuel Macron praised at the UN. Another was India’s decision to vote in favour of allowing Ukraine President Volodmyr Zelenskyy to address the UNSC and UNGA in the same month.
In addition, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s speech at the UNGA where he spoke of India being “on the side of the UN charter”, and his statement at a press conference in Washington to “wait and see” what India’s Ambassador to the UN Ruchira Khamboj would say in response to the Russian referendums had sparked speculation that India would change its previous policy, since February 24, of abstaining on votes at the UNGA, UNSC, Human Rights Council (HRC) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on votes criticising Russia’s actions.
