India votes against Russia for 1st time in UNSC during procedural vote on Ukraine

India voted against Russia during a "procedural vote" on Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, as the 15-member powerful UN body invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address a meeting via video teleconference.

This was the first time India has voted against Russia on the issue of Ukraine since the Russian military operation began in February. So far, New Delhi has abstained on Ukraine at the UN Security Council, much to the displeasure of Western nations led by the United States.

Following the aggression, Western nations, especially the United States, slapped severe economic and other sanctions on Russia.

India has not condemned Russia's actions against Ukraine it has repeatedly urged the Russian and Ukrainian sides to return to the road of diplomacy and negotiation, and has backed all diplomatic attempts to end the crisis between the two nations.

India is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term that expires in December.

On the 31st anniversary of Ukraine's independence, the UN Security Council met on Wednesday to assess the six-month-old conflict. As the meeting began, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily A Nebenzia requested a procedural vote on the Ukrainian President's video teleconference participation.

Following his and Albanian Prime Minister Ferit Hoxha's words, the Council invited Zelensky to join in the meeting via video teleconference by a vote of 13 to one. Russia and China both voted against such an invitation.

Zelensky, addressing via video conference, demanded that the Russian Federation be held accountable for its actions against Ukraine. "If Moscow is not stopped now," he continued, "all these Russian murderers will definitely end up in other countries."

“It is on the territory of Ukraine that the world’s future will be decided,” he added. “Our independence is your security,” he told the UNSC.

The Ukrainian President called on Russia to cease its “nuclear blackmail” and completely withdraw from the plant.

Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on Wednesday, which also marked exactly six months since the start of Russia’s military offensive against the country on February 24.

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