UN General Assembly Decisively Condemns Russia with Overwhelming Vote

The United Nations General Assembly condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine with an overwhelming majority of votes. Countries that voted against this resolution, in addition to Russia itself, were Belarus, Syria, Eritrea, and North Korea. Iran, China, and India abstained.

On the seventh day of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, an emergency session of the UN General Assembly condemned the assault with a majority vote and called on Moscow to end its aggression. On Wednesday, March 2, 141 member countries voted in favor of the resolution in New York, 35 countries, including China, Iran, India, and the United Arab Emirates, abstained, and only five countries—Russia itself, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, and Syria—voted against.

Although this vote is symbolic, what transpired today in the largest body of the United Nations with 193 members demonstrated how isolated Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has become on the international stage.

Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s Foreign Minister, who traveled to the United States for this three-day emergency session, had called on the international community the previous day to unite around a statement titled “Aggression Against Ukraine” and condemn Russia. This is the eleventh such session at the United Nations in more than 70 years, and the first in recent decades.

Unlike the UN Security Council, whose resolutions are binding and can only be approved by the vote of all members, resolutions of the General Assembly are not legally binding under international law, but can be passed by a majority vote of members. Nevertheless, observers view today’s voting in the General Assembly as a reflection of global sentiment and how people worldwide are responding to the Ukraine war.

The text approved on Wednesday in the UN General Assembly strongly condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Putin’s order to place nuclear deterrent weapons on high alert. The resolution calls on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine, cease the use of force against Ukraine, and refrain from any threats against the country.

The United Nations has also stated that it is deeply concerned about reports of attacks on civilian centers such as homes, schools, and hospitals.

Source: DW