At UNGA, India Votes Against Russia’s Demand For Secret Ballot On Ukraine

India at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted to reject Russia's demand for a secret ballot on a draft resolution condemning Moscow's illegal annexation of four areas of Ukraine. However, Russia insisted on a secret ballot vote.

On Monday, the 193-member UNGA voted on a motion by Albania to hold a recorded vote on a draught resolution condemning Russia's so-called referendums and attempted illegal annexation of Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The UNGA moved just hours after Russia launched raids on several Ukrainian towns, including Kyiv, in which at least ten people were killed and approximately 60 more were injured.

According to media reports, Moscow's desire for a secret ballot was denied as 107 UN member nations, including India, voted in favour of a recorded vote. Meanwhile, only 13 countries supported Russia's request for a secret ballot, while 39 abstained. Russia and China were among the countries that did not participate in the election.

Following the adoption of the proposal to hold a recorded vote, Russia filed an appeal against the President of the General Assembly's order.

"The UN membership has been witnesses to an appalling scam in which the president of the General Assembly, unfortunately, played a crucial role," Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said.

He further said, "We were not granted the floor to raise a point of order, our remark was misrepresented and now UN member states are being deprived of their ability to express themselves freely."

“This unusual deception undermines the General Assembly's and the United Nations' overall authority. Of course, in such conditions, we chose not to vote,” he added.

Last month, India abstained when Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution proposed by the United States and Albania to condemn Moscow's unlawful referendums and invalidate the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces.

However, India has refused to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has maintained the same.