On the eve of the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly votes Thursday on a resolution calling for a "just and lasting
"
peace in Ukraine, a text that Kiev and its allies hope to see the broadest support.
“I appeal to you: this is a decisive moment to show support, unity and solidarity
,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday from the podium, on the first day of the debates devoted to the invasion of the country. Ukraine by Russia started on February 24, 2022.
“Never in recent history has the line between good and evil been so clear.
A country simply wants to survive.
The other wants to kill and destroy
,” he added.
Ukraine and its allies hope that the text, which will be put to the vote at the end of this second day, will obtain at least as many votes as in October.
143 countries then voted for the resolution condemning the annexations of several Ukrainian territories by Russia.
The non-binding draft resolution “
stresses the need to achieve, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”
.
It also reaffirms the "attachment" to the "territorial integrity of Ukraine",
"demands"
the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces, and calls for a "cessation of hostilities".
A peace that the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, called for when he castigated on Wednesday
“the affront to our collective conscience”
represented by the invasion of Ukraine.
"The possible consequences of the escalation of the conflict are a clear and already there danger," he said, referring in particular to nuclear risks.
"Illegal War"
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed this week to “methodically” continue his offensive in Ukraine, in a speech with anti-Western rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War.
Its ambassador to the UN Vassili Nebenzia also attacked Westerners on Wednesday at the General Assembly.
"In their desire to inflict defeat on Russia in any way possible, it is not only Ukraine they can sacrifice, they are prepared to plunge the whole world into the abyss of war," he said
. he accused.
This conflict is not a question
of "the West against Russia"
, replied the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.
"This illegal war concerns everyone: North, South, East and West"
.
The three resolutions related to the Russian aggression voted by the General Assembly for a year received between 140 and 143 votes in favor, with five countries systematically voting against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea) and less than 40 abstaining.
A slightly different fourth in April, which suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council, was less consensual (93 votes for, 24 against, 58 abstentions).
For its part, Beijing, which abstained during the votes at the UN on Ukraine, tried on Wednesday to play mediators by presenting to Moscow its vision for the "
political settlement"
of the conflict.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was received at the Kremlin after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"The Chinese partners shared with us their thoughts on the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis, as well as their approaches to its political settlement
," commented the Russian Foreign Ministry after the talks.
“There was no question of a separate (peace) + plan”
, he noted, however.
"Nuclear Terrorism"
The day before, Vladimir Putin had made an impression by announcing the suspension of the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty signed in 2010, the last bilateral agreement of its kind linking Russians and Americans.
US President Joe Biden twice called the move a
“serious mistake”
on Wednesday but said he “didn't see” any evidence “that he is considering using nuclear weapons or anything like that.” .
For Ukraine,
"Russia's nuclear terrorism threatens the whole world"
.
“The Russian Federation grossly violates the norms of international law, undermines nuclear and radiation safety standards
,” Natalia Kostenko, representative of Ukraine, declared Wednesday in Vienna, before the parliamentary assembly of the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
On the military side, the boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine, has issued an unprecedented appeal, urging the Russians to pressure the army to provide ammunition to his men on the front line in the battle for the city of Bakhmout , in eastern Ukraine.
This statement illustrates the extent of the tensions between the mercenaries and the Russian general staff on the eve of the anniversary of the launch of the Russian offensive, now bogged down in the face of resistance from Ukrainians reinforced by Western military aid.
