Russia praises India’s ‘balanced’ stance on Ukraine after Security Council abstention

Russia has praised India’s “independent and balanced” position after Delhi abstained from a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow’s “aggression” against Ukraine.

India, along with China and the UAE, did not vote on the resolution Friday, a move in line with the fine balance Delhi has sought to strike between partnerships with Moscow and Western allies.

“Highly appreciate India’s independent and balanced position at the voting in the UNSC,” the Russian embassy in India tweets on Saturday, hailing the countries’ “special and privileged strategic partnership.”

Despite being a member of the “Quad” grouping with Australia, Japan and the United States, India has neither explicitly condemned Moscow’s actions, nor called them an invasion so far.

New Delhi and Moscow were close throughout the Cold War, a relationship that endures to this day, and Russia continues to be India’s biggest arms supplier.

On Saturday, Washington urged Delhi to use its influence with Russia to “protect the rules-based international order.”

“India and Russia have a relationship, including in the defense and security sector, that we don’t have,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

“We have asked every country that has a relationship and certainly those countries that have leverage to use that leverage in a constructive way.”

Since the assault, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, expressing concern over the violence.