The United Nations voted overwhelmingly in a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the immediate withdrawal of its forces, amid global outrage that highlighted Russia’s growing isolation.
At an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly, 141 out of 193 member states voted in favor of the resolution, 35 abstained and five voted against.
The resolution, which is sponsored by 94 countries, said the UN “deeply regrets the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.” He called for “the Russian Federation to immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine” and “to withdraw all its military forces immediately, completely and unconditionally.”
The resolution is not legally binding, but is an expression of the views of UN members aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow and its ally Belarus.
Russia was the only vote against such a resolution in the Security Council on Friday, but as Russia is one of five veto-wielding forces, the resolution was not upheld, so Ukraine’s allies took the matter to the general assembly.
For the first time in 40 years, the Security Council referred the crisis to the Assembly, and it was only the 11th time that an extraordinary session of the 1950 UN General Assembly was convened.
It was convened under the Unification for Peace resolution, which addresses global threats to the body, “if the Security Council fails to fulfill its primary responsibility to act in accordance with the requirements of international peace and security due to the lack of unanimity of the permanent members”. ”.
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