Moscow: Russia on Tuesday thanked India, China, Gabon, and Kenya for ‘withstanding US hand twisting during the United Nations Security Council debate on Monday where member states discussed the tensions in Ukraine.
According to CNN, India abstained from the procedural vote held ahead of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting. Other news agencies reported that Gabon and Kenya also abstained from voting. Russia and China were the only nations that voted against taking up the Ukraine issue. The US, the UK, France, the UAE, Ghana, Albania, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, and Ireland were among the nations who voted for holding a debate on the Ukraine issue.
“As we expected, it was nothing but a PR stunt, a classic example of “megaphone diplomacy”. No facts, only allegations, and unsubstantiated claims. US diplomacy at its worst. Thanks to 4 (of) our colleagues (China, India, Gabon, and Kenya) who were brave (enough) to withstand US hand-twisting before the vote,” Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN said in a tweet. Polyanskiy was responding to US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s tweet where she echoed Biden administration’s concerns that Ukraine faces an imminent danger of invasion as Russia amassed 100,000 troops across the US border.
Russian Diplomat Thanks India, China for Being ‘Brave’ to ‘Withstand US Hand-twisting’ Before UNSC Vote on Ukraine
India, earlier, clarified its stance on the issue and said on January 29 that it sought a “peaceful resolution” of the situation with the help of “sustained diplomatic efforts” for “long-term peace and stability” in the region.
Russia after the meeting, where it was isolated, said that the US and its allies were behaving hysterically. Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said that Washington was engaging in ‘hysterics’ by convening a meeting on the Ukraine issue. “The United States is whipping up tensions and rhetoric and provoking escalation. The discussions about a threat of war are provocative in and of itself. You are almost calling for this, you want it to happen,” Nebenzia said, further adding that no Russian official threatened to invade Ukraine and Ukrainians were being brainwashed by the “Russiaphobia” of its western allies, according to a report by the AFP.
