UN General Assembly ‘overwhelmingly’ demands Russian withdrawal from Ukraine

The UN General Assembly demanded Thursday, February 23 a withdrawal “immediate” Russian troops who invaded Ukraine a year ago, overwhelmingly voting for a resolution also calling for peace “fair and sustainable”. “It is an overwhelming majority on the part of the international community which confirms its strong support for Ukraine, victim of Russian aggression”rejoiced the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell in front of the press, surrounded by twenty representatives of European countries.

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“It’s much more than what the West represents”, underlined for his part the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kouleba, drawing attention to the favorable votes of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The French Foreign Minister also welcomed this vote.

China and India abstained.

To applause, the non-binding resolution garnered the votes of 141 of the 193 UN member states, 7 voted against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, Eritrea) and 32 abstained, including China and India. Similar support in October, when 143 countries condemned the annexations of several Ukrainian territories by Russia, five voting against. In March 2022, 141 countries had demanded the withdrawal of the Russian army from Ukrainian territory.

The adopted resolution reaffirms the“attachment” to the territorial integrity of Ukraine and “required” that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory within the country’s internationally recognized borders”a reference to the territories annexed by Russia.

This text also calls for a “cessation of hostilities” And “stresses the need to achieve, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.