The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for lasting peace in Ukraine and reiterating its demand for Russia to withdraw its troops and end the conflict, in a non-binding vote on the eve of the anniversary. Moscow’s invasion.
The resolution, introduced by Ukraine during a special two-day council session, was passed 141 to 7, with 32 abstentions.
The resolution demonstrates continued support for the isolation of Ukraine and Russia on the world stage even as many countries grapple with the far-reaching consequences of the war on their own people, at a cost. Energy and food skyrocketed.
Among the countries that abstained were Russia’s allies China, Iran and India. Among the few countries that sided with Russia in voting against were Belarus, Eritrea, Nicaragua, North Korea, Mali and Syria. Two amendments introduced by Belarus to change the resolution in favor of Russia were rejected.
“In this war there is no equality between the sides; there is an aggressor and a victim,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, told the council Wednesday as he introduced the resolution. “We have no choice but to continue fighting for our survival.”
Russia called the resolution “anti-Russian” and its ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, told the council on Wednesday that the idea of defeating “a nuclear state” was a fantasy.
Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are not legally binding, but they carry symbolic and political significance. This is the third article passed by the council regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago. The Security Council was unable to take stronger action because Russia has veto power over any resolution against it.
The United States and its European allies, who have been steadfast with Ukraine and provide it with advanced military equipment and weapons for self-defense, see the adoption of the three resolutions as a way to pressure Russia and show its isolation.
“The UN General Assembly resolution is not wet paper; a General Assembly resolution expresses the concern of the international community,” the European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell Fontelles, told reporters on Thursday. “Everyone says they want peace, but let’s go from kind words to practical actions, peace and how?”
The resolution states that a peace agreement would not recognize any territorial gains by using or threatening to use force. It condemns Russia’s human rights violations against civilians and the attacks on civilian infrastructure that have devastated cities across Ukraine.
Several countries that abstained or voted against the resolutions have said that peace efforts should address security concerns on both sides. Supporters of the resolution say the “both sides” conflict is an attempt to falsely equate aggressor and victim.
“Colleagues, this vote will go down in history,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the council, said Wednesday. “On this one-year anniversary of the conflict, we will see the views of the nations of the world on the issue of peace in Ukraine.”
Although China and Iran have refrained from publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they have voiced their opposition to international sanctions and the supply of weapons to the conflict.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has denied accusations by Ukraine and the West that his country is supplying Russia with drones for use in the conflict. China believes that supplying more weapons to the conflict is fanning the flames and the international community must move away from the Cold War mentality.
“Adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate tensions,” China’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dai Bing, told the meeting on Thursday. “Prolonging and widening conflict will only cost ordinary people more.”
