March 2, 2022

United Nations – AFP
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution “demanding that Russia immediately stop using force once morest Ukraine,” with a majority of 141 countries, while 5 countries opposed it, and 35 abstained, including China, among the 193 member states.
The decision was met with a storm of applause. The resolution, issued following more than two days of interventions, calls on Moscow to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces” from Ukraine, and “condemns Russia’s decision to increase the state of readiness of its nuclear forces.”
It affirms “upholding the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity” of Ukraine, including its “territorial waters”.
“The message of the General Assembly is strong and clear,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. Put an end to hostilities in Ukraine, now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy, now.”
For his part, the European Union Ambassador to the United Nations Olof Skoog described the resolution as a “historic vote.”
The resolution calls for unimpeded humanitarian access – once morest the backdrop of arduous discussions in the Security Council on a French-Mexican draft resolution on the same subject – and “deplores Belarus’ involvement in the attack on Ukraine.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, stressed that his country does not attack civilian targets, and is satisfied with defending the residents of the Donbass region in the separatist east of Ukraine.
In addition to North America and Europe, the resolution was supported by several African countries. But this does not apply to South Africa, which abstained, and to Algeria, Central Africa and Mali, knowing that the two countries are working to develop their relations with Russia. Also abstaining from Burkina Faso.
A majority of Latin American countries supported the resolution, but Cuba and Nicaragua abstained. India, China and Pakistan also abstained, and the resolution was prepared in the General Assembly, inspired by the text of a similar draft that fell last week in the UN Security Council as a result of Russia’s veto, albeit with minor amendments.