143 UN member states, Romania included, condemn the annexation by Russia of four Ukrainian territories
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s proclaimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions in eastern and southern Ukraine, calling it illegal. The resolution was initiated by Ukraine and Albania, following the Russian Federation’s rejection of a similar resolution in the Security Council at the end of September. The text was co-sponsored by Romania, along with 75 other UN member states. Of the organization’s 193 member states, 143, including Romania, adopted Wednesday’s resolution. It is the largest number of votes obtained since the beginning of the war against Ukraine in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution on this topic.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the vote showed international unity against Russia and repeated Washington would never recognize the „sham” referendums.
The vote „is a powerful reminder that the overwhelming majority of nations stand with Ukraine, in defense of the UN Charter and in resolute opposition to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and its people”, Blinken said in a statement. „With very few nations voting with Russia today, it is clear that international unity on this question is resolute and support for Ukraine at the UN and beyond is unwavering”, Blinken also said.
It came as no surprise that five countries, namely Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Nicaragua, voted against. 35, among which China, India, Pakistan and South Africa abstained, despite the diplomatic efforts of the United States. Before the vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, asked as many countries as possible not to abstain. „Today it is Russia invading Ukraine. But tomorrow it could be another nation whose territory is violated. It could be you. You could be next. What would you expect from this chamber?”, she said.
Through this resolution, co-edited by the European Union and presented by Ukraine, the Westerners state that, seven months after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, they have proved that President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is „isolated” on the international stage. The text urges that no state recognizes these annexations and demands the immediate withdrawal of the Russian troops, who entered Ukraine on February 24.
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu welcomed the adoption of the resolution condemning the illegal annexation by Russia of the four Ukrainian territories. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Bucharest condemned in the strongest terms the signing of the so-called „agreements of accession to the Russian Federation” of some Ukrainian regions under the illegal occupation of Russian troops. „These actions cannot produce any kind of effect from the point of view of international law, and Romania does not recognize their validity, especially with regard to the operation of any change regarding the territorial membership of the Ukrainian regions concerned” , the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also stressed.
(Leyla Cheamil, Radio Romania International)
