Russia-Ukraine crisis LIVE: Taliban ask Ukraine, Russia to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue

9:30 am: Taliban ask Ukraine, Russia to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue 

Statement concerning crisis in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Ck17sMrAWy — Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) February 25, 2022

9:10 am: Indian embassy in Ukraine asks Indians not to move to any border posts without prior coordination with its officials.

9 am: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will receive evacuees from Ukraine at the airport.

8 am: Russian troops attack Kyiv military base, are repelled - Ukraine military

7 am: Kyiv braces for assault as Russia, Ukraine signal possibility of talks

6:40 am: Eiffel Tower in Paris lights up in the national colours of Ukraine.

Photo: Reuters

6:30 am: At UN Security Council, China abstained from the Security Council vote condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

6:30 am: In UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine today, India abstained on the vote on draft resolution. 

In UN Security Council meeting on #Ukraine today, India abstained on the vote on draft resolution.

Our Explanation of Vote  pic.twitter.com/w0yQf5h2wr — PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) February 25, 2022

India abstained on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution that condemned Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine and demanded "immediate, complete and unconditional" withdrawal of Russian forces from the neighbouring country.

The UN Security Council voted on Friday on the draft resolution sponsored by the US and Albania and supported by several other nations including Poland, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg and New Zealand.

Eleven countries voted in favour of the resolution while three countries - India, China and the UAE abstained.

A permanent member of the Security Council, Russia used its veto power blocking the resolution, as expected, but Western nations said the resolution seeks to show Moscow's isolation on the global stage for its invasion and actions against Ukraine.
All eyes were on how India will cast its vote on the resolution given that New Delhi has strong defence ties with Moscow.

Read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Why Europe is staring at a massive refugee crisis

During a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi "appealed for an immediate cessation of violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss Russia's "premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine", the State Department said.

Blinken "stressed the importance of a strong collective response to condemn Russia's invasion and call for an immediate withdrawal and ceasefire."

India has so far refrained from condemning Russia's actions in Ukraine and in a statement in the Security Council on Wednesday night, just as Putin ordered Ukraine's invasion, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti expressed "deep concern" over the developments, which if not handled carefully, may well undermine the peace and security of the region.