The UN General Assembly meets in Kiev and its allies on Wednesday, the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hoping to garner the broadest support for a resolution calling for a “just and lasting” peace.
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The draft resolution, supported by around 60 countries, “emphasizes the need to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter”. It must be put to the vote after debates, which begin at 3pm (8pm GMT) and last until at least Thursday.
Like previous resolutions, the text reaffirms the “commitment” to “Ukraine’s territorial integrity”, “demands” the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and calls for a “cessation of hostilities”.
However, he does not refer to the ten-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November.
Ukraine, which had been considering this for a while, gave up in order to get as many votes as possible, according to diplomatic sources. At least as much as in October, when 143 countries voted in favor of the resolution condemning Russia’s annexations of several Ukrainian territories.
“We have arrived at a text that really tries to bring the international community together, as coherently and positively as possible,” commented a European diplomat.
A year after invading Ukraine, it will also be a message telling Russia that “it cannot achieve its goals by force,” he added, hoping that when Moscow “feels really isolated, eventually the pressure will come.” will be too great to resist”.
But on the eve of the start of that session, at which many ministers are expected, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Tuesday to “methodically” continue his offensive in Ukraine, in a rhetorical speech addressed to the West reminiscent of the Cold War era.
Supporting peace in Ukraine “does not mean choosing between the United States and Russia,” but “defending the United Nations Charter,” replied American Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield during some countries of the South a certain weariness is being expressed -à-vis the fact that the North continues to focus on this war.
In this regard, China, “very worried” about the conflict “getting out of control,” has indicated that it will soon submit a proposal to find a “political solution” to the war. China, like India in particular, has abstained from voting in the UN referendum on Ukraine.
And if Kiev “isn’t in the mood to talk yet,” countries like China, Brazil or South Africa “could start saying Ukraine is an obstacle to peace,” comments Richard Gowan, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.
“So this week the United States and the EU wanted to include a reference to the cessation of hostilities in the text,” he told AFP.
A “cessation of activities” accompanied by a withdrawal of Russian troops, while a simple “ceasefire” could be just a pause allowing Russia to reorganize, diplomats note.
If this resolution is primarily “symbolic,” according to Richard Gowan, it will have the merit of underscoring Russia’s isolation and “undermining Putin’s claim to lead an anti-West grand coalition.”
The three resolutions on Russian aggression passed by the General Assembly for a year received between 140 and 143 votes in favor, with five countries systematically voting against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea) and fewer than 40 voting in favor contained.
A slightly different fourth in April, which suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council, was less consensual by 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions.