“Art Of Balance”: Why India Is Not Voting In Favour Of Ukraine?
Written By : Aashish Vashistha
March 7, 2022 ( New Delhi) : After almost Eleven days of Russia- Ukraine War, things are not clear between both the nations. On one side, Ukraine is seeking financial and military support from foreign countries while Russia is expecting from Ukraine to not become a “active member”of NATO. Interestingly, America, Britain and Canada were among the top nations who supported and voted in favour of Ukraine during the voting on UN proposal against Russian Aggression.
The UN resolution eloquently shows dissent against Russia’s invasion and war in Ukraine. The resolution says, “We deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against “Ukraine” and ‘demands’ that “Russia” unconditionally withdraws all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine”. It also condemns all violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights during the conflict. During 3 round of presenting proposals against “Russian Aggression” at UN, UNSC and UNGA, India abstained from voting in favour of Ukraine.
Why India is not voting in favour of Ukraine directly?
India abstained from voting in favour of Ukraine against Russia to balance the act of maintaining friends and partners of both sides. It is also a legacy of the “Nehruvian foreign policy” of ‘non-alignment’ and the ways in which the two countries have interacted with each other in the United Nations. The most crucial reason is that Russia always supported India in it’s military actions against the rival countries. In history, Ukraine never supported India eloquently when it comestibles to foreign relations. Also, the growing ‘nearness’ between America and Pakistan has often been cited as predominant reason for India seeking ‘closeness’ with the Soviet Union. But later India’s relationship with the Russians underwent a downturn following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Another important argument in this regard is that India has been remained the beneficiary of the Russian veto on several occasions . The Soviet Union was the only country to ‘veto’ resolutions in the UN Security Council against UN interventions in Kashmir in 1957, 1962 and 1971. TP Sreenivasan, former Indian deputy permanent representative of India to the UN in New York said, “In fact, India’s friendship with the Soviet Union started in 1955 when Nikita Khrushchev (secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) came to Kashmir and declared it an integral part of India.” From 1970s India has been inclined towards the Soviet Union and was away from the US. A powerful example reflects Russian help towards India that during the Goa Liberation Movement in 1961, The US, UK, Turkey and France had proposed a resolution in the United Nations condemning the Indian invasion in Goa and asking the country to withdraw its forces. The veto from the “Soviet Union” destroyed the resolution. These are the crucial reasons of India abstaining to vote against Russia. Also Indian Diplomat in UN suggests that “conversation “ is the only solution of this matter. Although, India is extending it’s medical support to Ukraine in the moment of crisis and war.