Sri Lanka, India abstain on UN resolution calling on Russia to make reparations to Ukraine

Sri Lanka, India and several other countries abstained from voting on a draft resolution approved by the UN General Assembly that recognised that Russia must be responsible for making reparations to Ukraine.

The draft resolution, ‘Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine’, introduced by Ukraine, was adopted on Monday (November 14) in the 193-member UN General Assembly by a recorded vote of 94 in favour, 14 against and 73 abstentions, including by India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Those voting against the resolution were Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Russia and Syria.

General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, but they carry political weight.

The resolution, co-sponsored by nearly 50 nations, recognised that Russia “must be held to account for any violations of international law in or against Ukraine, including its aggression in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as any violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and that it must bear the legal consequences of all of its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for the injury, including any damage, caused by such acts.”

In March, 141 members of the General Assembly voted to denounce Russia’s invasion, and 143 in October voted to condemn Moscow’s attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine. India had also abstained on those two votes. Till now, India has avoided directly criticising Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.

(Source: UN / International Reports)