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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to condemn Russia’s “attempted amerciable annexation” of 4 Ukrainian regions and request its contiguous reversal, a motion of beardown planetary absorption to the seven-month warfare and Moscow’s effort to drawback its neighbor’s territory.
The ballot successful the 193-member satellite assemblage was 143-5 with 35 abstentions. It was the strongest enactment from the General Assembly for Ukraine and against Russia of the 4 resolutions it has approved since Russian troops invaded Ukraine Feb. 24.
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, called the ballot “amazing” and “a historical moment.” U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said supporters were “holding our breaths” and called it “a monumental day.” European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog called it “a large success” that sends “a resounding connection to Russia that they are and stay isolated.”
U.S. President Joe Biden said successful a connection that the ballot demonstrated the satellite “is much agreed and much determined than ever to clasp Russia accountable for its violations.” It is “a wide message” that “Russia cannot erase a sovereign authorities from the map” and it “cannot alteration borders by force,” helium said.
The Western-sponsored solution was a effect to Russia’s announced annexation past period of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Moscow acted pursuing Kremlin-orchestrated “referendums” that the Ukrainian authorities and the West person dismissed arsenic sham votes conducted connected occupied onshore amid warfare and displacement.
During 2 days of speeches astatine the assembly’s resumed exigency peculiar league connected Ukraine talker aft talker accused Russia of violating cardinal principles of the United Nations Charter — respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each U.N. subordinate nations.
There was aggravated lobbying by supporters of the EU-facilitated solution up of Wednesday’s vote.
U.S. envoy Thomas-Greenfield told the assembly earlier the ballot that erstwhile the United Nations was established connected the ashes of World War II it was built connected an thought — “that ne'er again would 1 state beryllium allowed to instrumentality another’s territory by force.”
Afterward, she told reporters the ballot means “that successful the eyes of the satellite and the United Nations, Ukraine’s borders stay the same.”
“The solution besides sends an enormously important awesome to Moscow and to everyone: It does not substance if you arsenic a federation are large oregon small, affluent oregon poor, aged oregon new. If you are a U.N. subordinate state, your borders are your ain and are protected by planetary law,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “They cannot beryllium redrawn by anyone other by force.”
A cardinal contented for the resolution’s Western backers was however galore countries would enactment it, and the effect went beyond their astir optimistic expectations.
The General Assembly voted 141-5 with 35 abstentions March 2 to request an contiguous Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of each its troops and extortion for each civilians. On March 24, it voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions connected a solution blaming Russia for Ukraine’s humanitarian situation and urging an contiguous cease-fire and extortion for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals captious to their survival.
But the assembly voted by a acold smaller borderline April 7 to suspend Russia from the U.N.’s Geneva-based Human Rights Council implicit allegations Russian soldiers successful Ukraine engaged successful rights violations that the United States and Ukraine person called warfare crimes. That ballot was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.
A 2014 solution affirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity and declaring the referendum that led to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula amerciable was adopted by a ballot of 100-11 with 58 abstentions.
Among the astonishment supporters of Wednesday’s solution were the “yes” votes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and different members of the Gulf Cooperation Council arsenic good arsenic Brazil.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, had appealed to countries to ballot against the resolution, calling it “a politicized and openly provocative document” and denouncing its sponsors arsenic “unscrupulous Western blackmailers.” He expressed regret the ballot was not by concealed ballot, arsenic Russia sought but the assembly rejected.
Nebenzia reiterated Russia’s claims the referendums were valid, saying “the populations of these regions bash not privation to instrumentality to Ukraine.”
The 4 countries that joined Russia successful voting against the solution were North Korea, Belarus, Syria and Nicaragua.
Ukraine’s Kyslytsya expressed profound regret that the 4 countries made “the incorrect prime against the U.N. Charter” and urged them to reconsider their committedness to the U.N.’s principles.
Among the 35 countries that abstained, 19 were from Africa, including South Africa. China and India, the world’s 2 astir populous countries, besides abstained on with Pakistan and Cuba.
The much almighty Security Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has been stymied connected taking enactment connected Ukraine due to the fact that of Russia’s veto power, which it utilized Sept. 29 to artifact condemnation of Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territory.
By contrast, the General Assembly, wherever determination are nary vetoes, has present approved 4 resolutions criticizing Russia implicit Ukraine. Its votes bespeak satellite sentiment but are not legally binding.
The solution adopted Wednesday declares that Moscow’s actions interruption Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, are “inconsistent” with the principles of the U.N. Charter, and “have nary validity nether planetary instrumentality and bash not signifier the ground for immoderate alternation of the presumption of these regions of Ukraine.”
It demands that Russia “immediately, wholly and unconditionally retreat each of its subject forces from the territory of Ukraine wrong its internationally recognized borders.”
And it supports “the de-escalation of the existent concern and a peaceful solution of the struggle done governmental dialogue, negotiation, mediation and different peaceful means” that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders.
Many countries among the much than 70 speakers urged a negotiated extremity to the war. The EU’s Skoog called the entreaty for a peaceful solution “very important,” but stressed it indispensable beryllium based connected Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
During Wednesday’s statement determination was beardown enactment for the resolution.
Australian Ambassador Mitch Fifield called Russia’s attempted annexation “illegal and a unsafe escalation” and urged each countries to reason acts of aggression.
Ambassador Fergal Mythen of Ireland said voters successful the “sham” referendums successful the 4 regions “faced intimidation by the Russian subject and Russia’s illegitimately appointed authorities.”
Cambodian Ambassador Sovann Ke didn’t bespeak however helium would ballot but said that “the forcible annexation of regions from a sovereign state is simply a flagrant usurpation of the U.N. Charter and planetary laws, which is not acceptable” and urged that internationally respected borders “be afloat respected.” In the voting, Cambodia supported the resolution.
South Korea’s ambassador, Hwang Joonkook, gave unequivocal enactment “to the sovereignty, governmental independency and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.” He said his country’s “own achy experiences” aft the 1950-53 Korean War “can attest that immoderate effort to disagreement a federation successful immoderate signifier oregon method is simply the opening of lasting precise superior troubles, alternatively than a solution.”
On the different broadside of that divide, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song supported the “self-determination” of the radical successful the 4 regions annexed by Russia arsenic a close protected successful the U.N. Charter and said the results indispensable beryllium respected.
He accused the United States and Western countries of “brutally” violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of erstwhile Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya nether “the pretext” of promoting planetary bid and information without ever having its actions called into question by the Security Council. He argued that U.S. interference successful the interior affairs of countries is continuing successful the 21st century.
Syrian Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh accused the General Assembly of “being manipulated flagrantly by immoderate Western countries for their ain geopolitical interests” and urged countries to reason efforts “to isolate Russia and to employment treble standards.”
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