India and China were among 33 countries that abstained from voting on a draft resolution at the United Nations General Assembly which referenced Russian aggression in Ukraine, according to a report by The Tribune.

The resolution, titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe,” was adopted with 105 votes in favour, nine against, and 33 abstentions.

Among the countries that opposed the resolution were the United States, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Russia, and Sudan, a UN statement said.

The document cited “unprecedented challenges now facing Europe following the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and against Georgia prior to that,” and called for strengthened cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe to uphold the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.

The resolution has traditionally been adopted by consensus since its first introduction in 2000, said the representative of Luxembourg, which currently chairs the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. However, this year, references to Russia’s military actions became a point of contention for several delegations.

The Russian delegation strongly objected to the wording of the resolution, arguing that the Council of Europe has turned into a forum for “pseudo-legal” and “legally null and void” initiatives. Russia insisted that the draft could not be supported in its current form.

In response to the vote, the United States representative remarked that although the UN strives for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the resolution’s language did little to advance efforts toward peace.

Despite the divide over its content, the resolution passed, reaffirming the importance of cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe at a time of ongoing geopolitical tensions in Europe.