UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The UN General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a resolution blaming Russia for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and called for an immediate ceasefire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals vital to their survival.
There was loud applause in the Chamber when the result of the vote was announced: 140-5, with only Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea joining Russia’s opposition to the measure. There were 38 abstentions, including Russian ally China, India, South Africa, Iran and Cuba.
The resolution, introduced by Ukraine, deplores the “grievous humanitarian consequences” of the Russian aggression, which “are on a scale not seen by the international community in Europe in decades”. She deplores Russia’s shelling, airstrikes and “siege” of densely populated cities, including the southern city of Mariupol, and calls for unhindered access for humanitarian aid.
The vote was almost exactly the same as the March 2 resolution the assembly adopted, calling for an immediate Russian ceasefire, the withdrawal of all of its forces, and the protection of all civilians and infrastructure essential to its survival. This vote was 141-5 with 35 abstentions.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Thursday’s vote “an amazing success” and said “the world once again stood united” in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
“Together, a vast majority of UN member states have made it clear that Russia – Russia – bears sole responsibility for the grave humanitarian crisis and violence in Ukraine,” she said. “Together we have called for the protection of all civilians fleeing the conflict and have taken steps to mitigate the rising food insecurity caused by this senseless war.”
“Absolutely, it will have an impact on the ground because it will give courage to the Ukrainian people,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere, speaking on behalf of the 27 member states of the European Union, said that the approval by an overwhelming majority “is a very strong signal that this General Assembly is sending to the peoples of the world and to the people of Ukraine who need it. ”
The General Assembly’s action followed the Security Council’s overwhelming defeat on Wednesday to a Russian resolution that would have recognized Ukraine’s growing humanitarian needs – but made no mention of the Russian invasion, which leaves millions of Ukrainians desperate for food, water and shelter.
To be accepted, Russia needed at least nine “yes” votes in the 15-member Security Council and no veto from any of the four other permanent members – the US, Britain, France and China. But Russia received support only from China, while the 13 other council members abstained.
The votes in the General Assembly and Security Council reflect Moscow’s failure to garner broad support for its military offensive in Ukraine, which marked its one-month anniversary on Thursday.
Britain’s Ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, told reporters on Wednesday that “Russia has consistently misplayed this, seriously underestimating the consequences of what it has done and the international perception of what it has done.”
Russia presented its resolution on March 15. A day earlier, France and Mexico had decided to move their proposed humanitarian resolution, blaming the Russian invasion for the humanitarian crisis, from the Security Council, where it faced a Russian veto, to the 193-member General Assembly, where there were no vetoes gives.
The final draft of the Franco-Mexican resolution was negotiated by about two dozen countries from all regions of the world, including Ukraine, which strongly supported it, and had 90 co-sponsors.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do have an impact on reflecting international opinion.
The General Assembly also had before it a competing South African resolution that made no mention of Russia. It was to be considered after the Ukraine-backed resolution was adopted, and South Africa sought a vote.
But Ukraine’s Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya disagreed, calling the resolution “a twin brother” to the rejected Russian resolution in the Security Council. He called for a procedural vote, which resulted in the Assembly deciding not to vote on the South African draft.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia blamed Western pressure for not holding a vote on the South African resolution and slammed what he called the “pseudo-humanitarian resolution tabled by Western allies in Ukraine for was presented solely to condemn Russia again. He also criticized the West’s failure to support “Russia’s truly humanitarian draft resolution” in the Security Council.
Russian authorities claim they did not start the war and have repeatedly and falsely labeled reports of Russian military backlash or civilian deaths in Ukraine as fake news. State media and government officials insist that Russian troops only target military installations.
The General Assembly began hearing ambassadors and diplomats on Wednesday about their nations’ views on the resolution, and those speeches stretched through Thursday morning and numbered more than 70.
According to the United Nations, about 10 million Ukrainians – a quarter of Ukraine’s population – have fled their homes and are now in the country or among the 3.6 million refugees. The US said 12 million need help and 5.6 million children are out of school.
Canada’s UN Ambassador Robert Rae urged those present in the packed chamber on Thursday to remember the 10 million people who have been displaced in four weeks.
“That’s more people forcibly displaced by the Russian military in Ukraine than the entire population of more than 100 states represented in the assembly,” he said.
China abstained on Thursday’s Ukraine-backed resolution, as it did on the March 2 resolution, but it was the only Security Council member to vote with Russia on its humanitarian resolution at the Security Council on Wednesday.
China’s Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun, one of the last speakers before Thursday’s vote, told the gathering: “It is heartbreaking to see the ongoing deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, as well as the civilian casualties and massive displacement of people caused by the conflict see .”
He reiterated China’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, for the UN charter stating that all UN member states should settle disputes through peaceful means, and for all countries’ “legitimate security concerns” to be taken seriously.
Zhang said the provisions in the Ukraine-backed resolution “go beyond the humanitarian context” and some issues can only be resolved through political negotiations between the parties. Therefore, he said, China decided to support the South Africa resolution.
“The top priority now is for the parties concerned to maintain maximum restraint, avoid more civilian casualties and reach a negotiated ceasefire as soon as possible, particularly to prevent a major humanitarian crisis,” Zhang said.
Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador, asked what’s next and had a similar response: “End the war.”