UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Condemns

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

United Nations members vote on a

resolution concerning the Ukraine during an emergency meeting of the
General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, March 2, 2022.

(1) UNITED NATIONS—The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly

condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine Wednesday and called for its
troops to immediately and completely withdraw, as Moscow's military
bore down on several Ukrainian cities with airstrikes and troops.

(2) Of the 193 member states, 181 participated in the vote. Of those, 141
countries supported the resolution condemning Moscow and five were
against it – including Russia and a tiny group of its allies—Belarus,
Syria, North Korea and Eritrea. Thirty-five countries abstained, but their
numbers do not affect the two-thirds majority needed for adoption.

(3) "The vote is a powerful message to the Russian Federation,"

Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters. Nearly 100
countries co-sponsored the measure, which mimics in tone the one that
Russia vetoed in the Security Council last Friday, prompting the move to
the General Assembly.

(4) "The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear," U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. "End hostilities in
Ukraine—now. Silence the guns—now. Open the door to dialogue and
diplomacy—now." The European Union has worked hard to unify its 27
members and the rest of the international community against Russian
President Vladimir Putin's aggression.
(5) "The Russian government stands increasingly alone. The world has
stated that it must immediately stop the aggression, withdraw its troops,
and abide by the rules of the U.N. Charter," European Union Ambassador
Olaf Skoog said after the vote. "Russia has chosen aggression. The world
has chosen peace."

(6) From Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy welcomed the

vote on Twitter, thanking those who voted in support of Ukraine and
saying that they chose "the right side of history." U.S. Ambassador Linda
Thomas-Greenfield appealed to nations ahead of the vote.

(7) "Now, at more than any other point in recent history, the United
Nations is being challenged," Thomas-Greenfield said. "If the United
Nations has any purpose, it is to prevent war, it is to condemn war, to
stop war. That is our job here today. It is the job you were sent here to do
—not just by your capitals, but by all of humanity."

United States Ambassador to the United

Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks during an emergency meeting of
the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, March 2, 2022.

(8) The resolution "condemns" the February 24 declaration by Russia of

a "special military operation" in Ukraine, and "deplores in the strongest
terms" Moscow's violation of Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter which says
members shall refrain from "the threat or use of force against territorial
integrity or political independence of any state."

(9) Kyslytsya told the international community that his country is

fighting for its life against Russia's military machine. "They have come to
the Ukrainian soil not only to kill some of us, not only to shift our cause
and priorities, they have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to
exist," he told the assembly.
(10) Russia intensifies offensive—It appeared unlikely the international
condemnation would do much to change Moscow's calculus, as its
offensive intensified Wednesday and civilians continued to flee to the
borders seeking safety. The U.N. refugee agency estimates more than
874,000 people have fled Ukraine this week and says it is contingency
planning for up to 4 million refugees.

(11) "The aim of our special operation is announced on the basis of

Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, and will be achieved," Russia's envoy,
Vassily Nebenzia, said ahead of the vote. "However, we are not carrying
out strikes on civilian facilities and civilians. Don't believe fakes spread
around the internet on this."

(12) Nations take a stance—The overwhelming majority of nations that

took to the podium in the general assembly this week expressed support
for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Many
called for the reversal of Putin's decision to recognize two pro-Russian
breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states, as well as outrage
that he has placed Russia's nuclear forces on alert.

(13) "Russia's war marks the dawn of a new era. It's a watershed
moment," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the meeting
on Tuesday. "Yesterday's certainties are gone. Today, we face a new
reality that none of us chose. It is a reality that President Putin has forced
upon us."

(14) A series of smaller countries from all parts of the world offered a
chorus of support for the resolution and the Ukrainian people. "Antigua
and Barbuda fully support the resolution that is before the house and we
call on all members, especially small island states, to recognize that this
is protecting the principles of the [U.N.] Charter'" Ambassador Walton
Webson said during Tuesday's debate. "Might is not right."
(15) "This is not a peacekeeping mission, but a war of aggression,"
Micronesia's ambassador emphasized, referring to a claim by Russian
officials. "It is clear beyond any doubt who is the aggressor and who is
the victim." Ambassador Jane Chigiyal added that Micronesia has
severed its diplomatic relations with Moscow.

(16) "In the eternal and inspiring worlds of Bob Marley: Let us get up,
stand up, stand up for the rights of all the people of Ukraine because
today we are all Ukraine," Jamaica's envoy said. Myanmar, which is still
represented at the United Nations by the ambassador of the pre-military
coup junta, expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

(17) Russian arms sent to the Myanmar military are fueling that country's
instability and conflict. "The people of Myanmar are facing similar
suffering resulted from the inhumane acts, atrocities, crimes against
humanity committed by the Myanmar military," Ambassador Kyaw Moe
Tun said Wednesday.

(18) Russian supporters scarce—Moscow could not even muster

support from some of its closest allies like Serbia, which voted to
condemn the military offensive. Other countries that traditionally align
with Moscow, including China, Iran, Nicaragua, Cuba and Pakistan,
chose to abstain in the vote. But Russia did have a handful of supporters.

FILE - This satellite image provided by Maxar

Technologies shows ground forces equipment and convoy in Khilchikha,
Belarus, Feb. 28, 2022.
(19) Belarus has aided Russia's invasion, allowing it to amass troops in
its territory and to launch missiles and forces from its territory into
northern Ukraine. "We categorically reject accusations against Belarus
that we are involved in unlawful use of force against Ukraine,"
Ambassador Valentyn Rybakov said.
(20) He said his president, Alexander Lukashenko, is "sparing no efforts"
to get the two sides to talk. Reports say a second round of talks is
expected to take place Thursday in a Belarussian border town between
Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Moscow has given military support
to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime and civil war since 2015.

(21) At the general assembly, the Syrian envoy said the draft resolution is
a "flagrant political hypocrisy." Russia has also tried to get international
sanctions on North Korea for its illicit nuclear program eased and lifted.
Pyongyang reciprocated at the general assembly by blaming the Ukraine
situation on the United States.

(22) Uniting for peace resolution—The General Assembly met this

week under what is known as the Uniting for Peace resolution. It allows
special meetings of the entire membership to be called when the U.N.
Security Council is deadlocked on an issue and cannot exercise its
mandate to maintain or restore international peace and security — in this
case, because of Russia's veto last Friday of a similar resolution.

(23) Although the council has historically been divided on many issues,
Uniting for Peace has been invoked fewer than a dozen times since it was
adopted in 1950, according to the Security Council Report, which tracks
U.N. meetings. The last time was 40 years ago, in 1982, concerning
Israel.
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