In New York, the UN General Assembly approved by 141 votes in favor, 7 against and 32 abstentions a resolution that demands the “immediate withdrawal” of Russian troops from the former Soviet republic.
The Ukrainian resistance to the invasion had strong military and financial support from the Western powers, which yesterday urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to implement a new aid package.
The G7 (USA, Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy and Japan) also considered that the sanctions imposed on Moscow “have significantly undermined Russia’s capabilities in its illegal war.”
sanctions
The White House has already announced that “the United States will implement wide-ranging sanctions against key sectors that generate income” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian president promised for his part to increase military industrial production and announced the forthcoming entry into service of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“We will pay priority attention to strengthening our defense capabilities,” Putin added in a video released on the occasion of Defenders of the Fatherland Day.
Russia’s expectations of a quick victory were dashed and its troops suffered heavy setbacks in eastern Ukraine late last year.
Currently, they are trying to regain the initiative by conquering the city of Bakhmut, which has been putting up fierce resistance for weeks.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the defense of her country, which was also a Soviet republic and is now part of NATO, “begins in Ukraine.”
Goals
If Russia achieves its goals in Ukraine, that “will be an incentive to do the same elsewhere,” he warned.
The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, affirmed in a surprise visit to kyiv his government’s determination to remain “by the side of Ukraine and its people until peace returns to Europe.”
The non-binding General Assembly resolution demanded Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 and, following the start of the invasion a year ago, proclaimed sovereignty over pro-Russian separatist regions in the east of the country.
Talks
The text also urges the “cessation of hostilities” and “emphasizes the need to achieve general peace as soon as possible.”
ral, just and lasting in Ukraine, in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
The four resolutions related to the Russian invasion voted in the General Assembly in the last year collected between 140 and 143 votes in favour, a little less than 40 abstentions.
The votes against this Thursday came from Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua and Mali.
China abstained in the vote, as well as numerous emerging countries.
“No matter how narrow the door to a political solution is, (it) cannot be closed,” said China’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dai Bing.
A call to which several Latin American countries joined, such as Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia or Uruguay.
China indicated on Thursday, after high-level contacts with Russia, that it intends to present “a political solution” to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, without further specifications.
Source: Ambito
