In that same message, the president clarified that “Russia’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukraine” while maintaining that “a further expansion of NATO over the territory of Ukraine is unacceptable.”
Parallel to Russia’s announcement, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to address the crisis in Ukraine. There, the US and Albania presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, seeking to condemn Russia for its recent actions in Ukraine, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
The text “is almost finished,” a European diplomat who asked not to be identified told AFP. “I hope that we can take action in the next few hours or days,” he added.
Another diplomat, who also requested anonymity, said that we must take advantage of the “momentum” at the UN where a large majority of countries condemned Russia’s actions at a General Assembly meeting on Wednesday.
The draft resolution, obtained by AFP, would see the Security Council officially condemn Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in Ukraine.
It would also reaffirm the “Council’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty (and) independence within its internationally recognized borders.”
The resolution will first go to the 15-member Council, where it will surely fail due to Russia’s veto power.
If it is vetoed, it could be presented to the UN General Assembly, where no country has the right to veto, but the resolutions are not binding.
“The goal is to have the largest majority possible,” said a European diplomat.
The strategy was already used in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea by Russia. Among the 15 members of the Security Council, Moscow vetoed the resolution and China abstained.
In the General Assembly, the project received 100 votes from the 193 members there are, while 11 voted against, 58 abstained and the rest did not participate in the vote.
According to the European diplomat, the difference this time is a “matter of magnitude”, due to the “greater risk of conflict, greater war”.
“The worst case scenario is that of a kind of World War II military operation that, of course, would generate many civilian casualties,” he explained.
Source: Ambito
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