The United Nations General Assembly General Assembly asks Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine

The United Nations General Assembly on March 2 passed a resolution asking Russia to stop its military campaign and withdraw its troops from Ukraine in the face of strong criticism from many countries. The resolution received 141 votes in favor, 35 abstentions, and 5 against.
After more than two days of debate, the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on March 2 in New York – USA. The last time the Security Council convened an emergency session of the General Assembly was in 1982, according to the United Nations website.

141 of the 193 UN General Assembly members voted in favor of a resolution condemning Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Five members voted against and 35 abstained, including China as a permanent member of the Security Council. Russia, Syria, Belarus, Eritrea, and North Korea were the five countries that voted against.

Not only condemning Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, the resolution “demands that Russia immediately withdraw all military forces from Ukrainian territory, within internationally recognized borders, comprehensively and unconditionally”.

Although the General Assembly’s resolutions are not binding, they have political weight. The outcome of the vote could represent a symbolic victory for Ukraine and an increase in international isolation from Moscow.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after the vote: “As the 141 member states of the United Nations know, many countries are under threat even more than the conflict in Ukraine. This is a threat to security. security of Europe and the entire rules-based order”.

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, head of Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations, denied that Russia’s campaign was targeting civilians and accused Western governments of pressuring members to pass the resolution. Mr. Nebenzia said that could cause more violence.

Mr. Nebenzia went on to assert that their action was a special military operation aimed at ending targeted attacks on civilians in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics (which Moscow recognized in the region). Eastern Ukraine). Nebenzia accused Ukrainian forces of using civilians as shields and of deploying heavy weapons in civilian areas.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya saw the resolution as “one of the walls to stop” the Russian attack.

To elaborate on the abstention, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun said the resolution did not have “adequate consultation with all members” of the general assembly.

The Chinese representative said: “The resolution also does not fully consider the history and complexity of the current crisis. In addition, it does not highlight the importance of the principle of indivisible security or the necessity of promoting political reconciliation and stepping up diplomatic efforts”. These are “inconsistent with China’s consistent positions”, Mr. Zhang said.