Bangladesh, India, 30 other countries abstain from UN vote on Russia-Ukraine war
China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, also abstained from the vote while three South Asian countries – Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan – voted in favour of the resolution
Bangladesh, India, China, and 29 other countries abstained from voting as the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday calling for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
A total of 141 member states voted in favour of the resolution at an emergency special session hours before the conflict entered its second year.
Seven countries, including Russia, Belarus and North Korea, voted against it, reports the Hindustan Times.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Cuba, Congo, Armenia and Vietnam also abstained from the vote. Three South Asian countries – Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan – voted in favour of the resolution.
The non-binding resolution reiterated the demand that Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine" and called for a cessation of hostilities.
It urged member states to cooperate to address the global impacts of the war on food security, energy, finance, the environment and nuclear security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the vote.
"This resolution is a powerful signal of unflagging global support for Ukraine," he said in a Twitter post.
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, members of the former USSR, took a neutral stance.
Bangladesh voted for only one of the four resolutions adopted by the UN since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out on 24 February 2022, and refrained from voting for the other three.