Ukraine seeks India's support ahead of UN vote against Russia

New Delhi: Ukraine has reached out to India seeking support on a proposed resolution to be voted on by the UN General Assembly on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the Ukrainian president discussed support over a phone call for the Ukrainian Peace Formula with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday.

Yermak said Ukraine is interested in the broadest possible support, particularly from countries of the Global South, for the resolution to be voted on by the UN General Assembly on February 23, according to a readout from the Ukrainian presidency.

Informed Doval about the current situation at the front, in particular about the extremely difficult defence of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Yermak said “Ukraine continues to fight on the battlefield, but at the same time the country has proposed a peace plan – a ten-point Peace Formula that provides comprehensive answers to the question of what needs to be done to end the war in a sustainable and just manner.”

“Cooperation with India is very important to us. We believe that you will support our resolution, as it contains very correct wording on the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity. Our goals are transparent and clear: we do not claim a single centimetre of Russian territory, we just want to get ours back,” he said.

The Head of the Presidential Office also called for an end to hostilities and a peace that ensures Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity”. He also emphasized the importance of forming a new effective security system in the world to replace the ineffective one that existed until February 24, 2022.

The draft resolution, entitled “Principles underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, in support of the principles of the UN Charter, which form the basis of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, will be considered by the 193-member UN General Assembly on February 23. The document is based on such fundamental principles as the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states within internationally recognized borders.

“This resolution is fundamental for us because it restores respect for international law and the UN Charter in the world. It is very important to protect the territorial integrity of any state in the world in order to prevent any attempts by one country to appropriate the territory of another one in the future,” emphasized Yermak.

“Ukraine welcomes any initiatives that give a chance to end the war and restore the territorial integrity of our country, but these should not be partial temporary solutions such as a ceasefire, but a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Otherwise, peace will be unstable, and this is unacceptable for Ukraine,” according to a readout from the Ukrainian presidency.

The proposed draft demands that all prisoners of war, detainees and internees be treated in accordance with the Geneva conventions and calls for the “complete exchange” of prisoners of war, the release of people unlawfully detained, “and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred and deported, including children.”

It also urges all countries “to cooperate in the spirit of solidarity to address the global impact of the war on food security, energy, finance, the environment, and nuclear security and safety.”

India’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been distinctive among the major democracies and among U.S. allies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on different occasions since the start of the conflict on February 24 last year. Modi has proposed direct talks between the two countries and also told Putin at a meeting last September that “today’s era is not of war”.

India has so far abstained on most Ukraine-related votes at UN bodies and it has also refrained from publicly condemning Russia.

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