Kenya Abstains From Procedural Vote on Ukraine, Urges ‘Patient Diplomacy’

Nairobi — Kenya has defended its decision to abstain from a procedural vote by members the UN Security Council on Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine citing the need to give dialogue a chance.

Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Martin Kimani, noted that ongoing diplomatic engagements on the matter had already shown some progress.

“We did so to reflect our conviction that the main issue in contention here is the impasse between NATO and the Russian Federation. We believe that it is imminently solvable and that the diplomatic steps underway already show promise,” Amb Kimani stated in a statement issued on Monday.

Amb. Kimani stated that the position taken by Kenya is best suited to protect international peace and security.

“Kenya has always maintained that the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries is a cornerstone of global peace. Where there are disputes regarding territorial jurisdiction or security interests, we strongly support patient diplomacy as the first, second, and third option.”

He noted that striking a compromise on the matter does not mean surrender even as he challenged the US, NATO and Russia to work towards establishing a diplomatic framework that will allow them to resolve their differences.

The United States called for the meeting after reports emerged Russia had massed troops at the Ukraine border causing anxiety over a possible invasion.

Russia has actively denied that its presence at the border poses a threat to the Ukraine.

Further, Russia has demanded guarantees that Ukraine will not join the US-led NATO alliance.

The Kremlin further sought assurances that NATO stops the deployment of weapons near Russian borders and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.

UNSC went ahead with the meeting after 10 council members including UK, France and Ghana endorsed the procedural motion.

Russia and China voted against while India, Gabon abstained alongside Kenya.

US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council that an invasion by Russia into Ukraine would threaten global security.