UN General Assembly condemns invasion of Ukraine. 141 nations were in favor of the global denunciation while 5 were against it. 35 countries abstained from the vote.
The resolution has a political weight although it is legally non-binding. It “also demands that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”
“The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear: end hostilities in Ukraine now. Silence the guns now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy now. The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected in line with the UN Charter,” Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said.
“We don’t have a moment to lose. The brutal effects of the conflict are plain to see. But as bad as the situation is for the people in Ukraine right now, it threatens to get much, much worse. The ticking clock is a time bomb,” he added.
Abstained
Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Bolivia are part of the 35 countries that have abstained from the votes.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has put into question the “destabilizing actions of NATO.” He has pledged support to the Russian President after numerous calls with him.
Long-time Russian allies Cuba and Nicaragua also blamed the conflict on NATO’s “increasingly offensive military doctrine that threatens peace.”
Mexican President López Obrador and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro both took a neutral stance.
“We’re not going to take any kind of economic reprisal because we want to have good relations with all the governments in the world,” said López Obrador. “We do not consider that [the war] concerns us, and we think that the best thing is to promote dialogue to achieve peace.”
Bolsonaro, who visited Moscow a few weeks ago, has said that his country was, “not going to take sides.”
“We are going to continue to be neutral and help however possible to find a solution,” said the president currently up for reelection later this year.