India walks tightrope over calls for Russia's isolation

India has abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Russia cease its invasion of Ukraine

NEW DELHI -- India's decision to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Russia cease its invasion of Ukraine does not mean support for Moscow, experts said, but reflects New Delhi's reliance on its Cold War ally for energy, weapons and support in conflicts with neighbors.

India on Friday regretted countries giving up the path of diplomacy but refrained from voting along with the United States on the resolution that would have meant altering its ties with Russia spanning over seven decades. Russia vetoed the resolution while China and the United Arab Emirates also abstained.

"We have not supported what Russia has done. We have abstained. It is the right thing to do under the circumstances,’’ said G. Parthasarthy, a retired Indian diplomat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday appealed for an “immediate cessation of violence." Modi called for efforts to return to diplomacy, saying the “differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.”