Russia has pulled out of the UN Human Rights Commission amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Voting took place on Thursday on the draft to exclude Russia from the commission. India did not participate in it. 93 members voted in support of the motion. And 24 voted against it. 58 members kept their distance from it. US envoy to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Tuesday called on the Human Rights Council to suspend Russia in front of the UNAC. Voting took place on this today. A two-thirds vote was in favor of removing Russia from the Human Rights Council.
India refrained from voting on the resolution, condemning the killings in Ukraine’s Bucha and backing calls for an independent investigation. Hundreds of civilians were found dead on the streets in Buka. Ukraine accused Russia of the Buka massacre over this. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said it was Ukraine’s propaganda.
Russian military launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized separate Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. Several countries, including Britain, the United States, Canada and the European Union, have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised to help Ukraine with military aid to fight Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that the country would not allow any obstacle to come in the way of sending necessary weapons to Ukraine in the fight against Russia. Speaking to reporters in NATO after a meeting of foreign ministers, Blinken said the US was considering what new weapons it might send to Ukraine.
Blinken also said that Russia would have to decide whether it wanted to engage in meaningful diplomacy with Ukraine. Speaking to reporters in NATO, Blinken said civilian killings in Ukraine’s Bucha were not a key factor in peace talks. The US on Wednesday announced new sanctions on Russian financial institutions as well as officials and their family members. This includes banning new investments in Russia, the child of Russian President Vladimir Putin and family members of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.