UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to demand Russia instantly and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the battle with a name for a “just and lasting” peace.
Ukraine earned robust backing in a nonbinding vote that noticed 141 of the 193 UN members in help, seven opposed and 32, together with China and India abstaining.
Coming on the eve of the primary anniversary of the brutal battle, help for Kyiv was little-changed from that of final October when 143 nations voted to sentence Russia’s declared annexation of 4 Ukraine areas.
“Today, United Nations General Assembly has just spoken very clear,” stated European Union overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell.
“This vote shows that the international community stands with Ukraine.”
President Joe Biden’s nationwide safety advisor, Jake Sullivan, referred to as the vote “a powerful call for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the UN Charter.”
The vote got here after two days of debate throughout which Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the worldwide neighborhood to decide on “between good and evil.”
He rejected the concept Kyiv solely loved the help of the West — the European Union, the United States and their key allies.
“The vote defies the argument that the Global South does not stand on Ukraine’s side, because many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor today,” Kuleba stated.
“The support is much broader, and it will only continue to be consolidated and to be solidified,” he added.
Andriy Yermak, chief of workers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed gratitude to all these “who stood up for Ukraine on the anniversary of the unprovoked Russian aggression.”
“The world understands whose side the truth is on,” he stated.
‘Imperialist plan’
The decision reaffirmed help for Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity,” rejecting any Russian claims to the components of the nation it occupies.
It additionally demanded “that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” and referred to as “for a cessation of hostilities.”
The vote confirmed Moscow’s continued isolation on the world stage after 12 months of battle.
It solely earned help from six different nations: Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, and Eritrea.
Despite its restricted backing, Russia has used its veto energy to dam any binding motions towards it within the UN Security Council.
Instead, the UN General Assembly has taken up the difficulty, displaying stable help for Kyiv in successive votes.
“Next year, we should not meet here to mark the second anniversary of this senseless war of aggression,” stated Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in the course of the debate.
“Russia can and must stop, tomorrow,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna stated.
“This war waged by Russia is everybody’s business because it threatens the existence of a state, because it represents a domineering and imperialist plan, and because it denies the existence of borders.”
But Russia dismissed the decision, with its UN consultant Vasily Nebenzya calling Ukraine “neo-Nazi” and accusing the West of sacrificing the nation and the growing world of their want to beat Russia.
“They are ready to plunge the entire world into the abyss of war” to take care of their very own “hegemony,” Nebenzya stated.
China, India nonetheless abstain
The vote confirmed India and China had not been swayed to outright condemn Moscow’s invasion, even whereas each have criticized Moscow’s threats to deploy nuclear weapons within the battle.
Before the vote Dai Bing, China’s deputy consultant on the United Nations, took a impartial stance, calling on either side to stop combating and enter peace talks.
“We support Russia and Ukraine moving towards each other, resuming direct dialogue as soon as possible,” he stated.
But he additionally gave voice to one among Russia’s justifications for the invasion, that its personal safety was underneath risk by Ukraine’s tilt towards Western Europe and NATO.
Any settlement, he stated, ought to give “due regard to … the reasonable security concerns of all countries, thereby properly addressing their legitimate security aspirations.” —Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
