The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a resolution which "
demands that Russia immediately cease the use of force
against Ukraine", a vote hailed as "
historic
" and greeted by a salvo of applause.
Of the 193 members of the Organization, 141 countries approved the text, five - Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria - opposed it and 35 abstained, including China.
After more than two days of interventions at the UN rostrum, the resolution demands that Moscow "
immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces
" from Ukraine and "
condemns Russia's decision to
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Led by the European Union in coordination with Ukraine, the text also "
deplores
" "
in the strongest terms Russia's aggression against Ukraine
" and affirms "
its attachment to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity
" of this country.
“
The message from the General Assembly is loud and clear
,” responded UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“
End hostilities in Ukraine – now.
Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy - now
”.
US President Joe Biden said the vote “
exposed the isolation
” of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
“
An overwhelming majority of nations recognize that Putin is attacking not only Ukraine but also the very foundations of world peace and security
,” he said in a statement.
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For the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell, the result of the vote is "
historic
", a point of view shared by the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for whom "
rarely has the contrast between good and evil been so striking
" .
Entitled "
Aggression against Ukraine
", the resolution also calls for unhindered access to humanitarian aid - against the backdrop of arduous discussions in the Security Council on a Franco-Mexican draft resolution on the same subject - and "
deplores the involvement of Belarus
in the Ukraine attack.
In the General Assembly hall, many countries had placed giraffe, bear or rabbit stuffed animals on their delegation's table to underline their support for the younger generations.
"
Genocide
"?
The ambassador of Ukraine to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, had denounced just before at the tribune of the UN a "genocide" in progress in his country, perpetrated by Russia.
“
It is already clear that Russia's goal is not just an occupation.
It's genocide
," he said as US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield assured that Russia intended to use "
cluster munitions
" and "
thermobaric weapons
". prohibited by a Geneva Convention.
His Russian counterpart, Vassily Nebenzia, claimed that Russia was not aiming at civilian targets and was limiting itself to defending the populations living in Donbass, in the separatist east of Ukraine.
In addition to North America and Europe, the resolution benefited from the favorable vote of many African States, but not that of South Africa which abstained, like Algeria, the Central African Republic and Mali, two countries currently developing their ties with Russia.
Burkina Faso, where a recent coup took place, did not vote, with Senegal choosing a surprising abstention.
A majority of Latin American countries, although far removed from the Ukrainian theatre, voted in favor of the resolution.
UAE flip-flop
For the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates, suspected of having concluded a more or less tacit agreement with Russia in exchange for a favorable vote on Monday by this country in the Security Council to designate the Yemeni Houthis as "
terrorists
", voted for, breaking with a position followed since last week in the Council.
Iran, in negotiations on its nuclear program with Russia in particular, abstained, a position also adopted by Iraq.
Saudi Arabia and Israel voted for the resolution.
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China's abstention is faithful to its position for a week in the Security Council.
India also abstained despite strong pressure from the United States.
Pakistan, also under pressure in particular from the Europeans for a favorable vote, abstained.
The resolution in the Assembly was inspired by a text rejected last week in the Security Council because of a veto posed by Russia which outraged Westerners.
Within the General Assembly, the right of veto, the privilege of the five permanent members of the Council (the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom), does not exist.
Its resolutions are not legally binding.
In 2014, a similar condemnation of Russia for the annexation of Crimea, which had been carried out without bloodshed, obtained 100 votes in favor, 11 against.
