140 countries in the largest UN body with 193 members voted for the text submitted by Ukraine on Thursday. 38 countries abstained, only 5 countries voted against the decision, which was clearly aimed at Russia: in addition to aggressor Moscow, there were Syria, Belarus, North Korea and Eritrea.
“Immediate cessation of hostilities”
Among other things, the resolution calls for “an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular all attacks on civilians and civilian objects”. Moscow must withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine immediately, and attacks on schools and hospitals, among other things, must stop. Also, concern is expressed about a global hunger crisis due to the large share of grain exports from Ukraine. Refugees – especially from third countries – should not be treated racist.
While the Western world followed the resolution almost seamlessly, important states such as China, India and Iran abstained. A competing draft resolution by South Africa recently caused unrest. The text was much more neutral and made no mention of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine. However, a majority in the General Assembly declined to vote on this text.
From the point of view of Russia’s opponents, the resolution that has now been adopted is also intended to increase the pressure on Moscow. Whether the humanitarian resolution – which in some parts is very similar to that of a few weeks ago – will improve local aid in the crisis area remains questionable. The United Nations emphasized on Wednesday that they can bring relief supplies to Ukraine without an official decision. Unlike in the more powerful Security Council, a resolution in the General Assembly is not binding under international law.
Source: Nachrichten
