(United Nations) The UN General Assembly of 193 states is expected to adopt a new resolution on Thursday that will “demand” from Russia an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine.
Posted at 7:11 p.m.
At the same time, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday evening rejected a resolution presented by Moscow on the “humanitarian situation” in its neighbor which it attacked on February 24.
On March 2, in a vote described as “historic” by the General Assembly, 141 countries had approved a non-binding resolution which “demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine” . Five states, including Russia, voted against and 35 abstained.
All day Wednesday, the Assembly, again meeting in special emergency session, debated a resolution presented by Ukraine, supported by 88 countries and which had been initially prepared by France and Mexico to be submitted to the Security Council.
This text, consulted by AFP, “demands an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular of all attacks against civilians and civilian objects”.
The resolution “reiterates (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for the Russian Federation to halt its military offensive, as well as his call for a ceasefire and resumption of the path of dialogue and negotiations”.
The United States, through their UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also stressed that the text “demanded the end of this war”.
Call to Putin
The resolution “forms this appeal to the only person capable of stopping the violence. And that person is Vladimir Putin. By voting for the resolution, you are voting for the end of the war” in Ukraine, implored the American diplomat.
His French counterpart Nicolas de Rivière for his part declared that “France is calling on the Russian Federation to put an end to the aggression of Ukraine, which for a month has been killing civilians, including children, personnel medical and journalists.
“It’s a massacre and the worst is still ahead of us”, denounced the permanent representative of France to the United Nations, recalling that the “absolute priority is an immediate cessation of hostilities and full respect for international law humanitarian”.
The General Assembly vote is expected to take place on Thursday.
At the same time as this UN General Assembly, Moscow submitted a resolution on the “humanitarian situation” in Ukraine to the vote of the 15 members of the Security Council.
Russia and China voted in favor and the other 13 members of the Council abstained to show, according to diplomats, that the Russian text was “unacceptable”.
On the contrary, the Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia defended “a non-politicized resolution” which could “greatly interest the UN humanitarian representatives on the ground”.
Paying tribute to former US Secretary of State who died on Wednesday, Madeleine Albright, Mme Thomas-Greenfield quoted her: “’I know what happens when you give the Russians a green light’ and that’s what we would be doing today if we voted for this resolution”.