Ukrainian President Zelensky praised the outcome of the UN vote
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to denounce Russia for invading Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces. The text of the resolution deplores Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine.”
The resolution, supported by 141 of the assembly’s 193 members, passed in a rare emergency session called by the UN Security Council as Ukrainian forces battled to defend their country.
Four countries — Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria — joined Russia in voting against the resolution while 35 nations including China and India abstained the resolution.
While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight and reflect Russia’s isolation on global diplomatic front.
The full UNGA vote came after Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member UN Security Council. The last time the Security Council convened an emergency session of the General Assembly was in 1982.
“As 141 member states of the United Nations know, more is at stake even than the conflict in Ukraine itself. This is a threat to the security of Europe and the entire rules-based order,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the vote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the outcome of the vote, tweeting, “I’m grateful to everyone & every state that voted in favor. You have chosen the right side of history.” The results “convincingly show that a global anti-Putin coalition has been formed and is functioning. The world is with us. The truth is on our side,” he added.
