The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday passed a resolution denouncing Russia’s annexation of the four regions of Ukraine.
Five members abstained, leaving 143 members in favour of the proposal. As many as 35 countries, including India, abstained on the vote. The resolution was passed just days after India abstained and Russia blocked a similar motion in the Security Council.
The most recent resolution, which was approved by the members without veto power, denounces Russia for its “attempted illegal annexations” of the four regions of Ukraine after “so-called referendums.”
Two days have passed since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia at the UNGA on Monday.
India voted on Monday to reject Russia’s demand that the UNGA vote on a draught resolution denouncing Moscow’s “attempted illegal annexation” of Ukrainian territory be conducted in secret.
After Russia suggested a secret ballot for the resolution on Ukraine, Albania demanded an open vote. India supported a procedural vote that was requested by Albania.
107 countries voted in favour of the Albanian plan, while 13 abstained and 39 countries rejected it. China, Iran, and Russia were among the twenty-four nations that abstained.
The annexation of four regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—was formally proclaimed by the signature of documents by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the final week of September.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have risen this week following the explosion on the Crimean bridge, which provoked Moscow to launch missile strikes on important Ukrainian cities.
Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, condemned the Russian actions and expressed his amazement, saying they represented “another unacceptable escalation” of the conflict.
The attacks, which apparently caused significant harm to civilian areas and resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries, demonstrated that, “as always,” people bore the brunt of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
Putin issued a “harsh” warning this week following the attack on the Crimean bridge on Saturday. Following the Crimea bridge explosion, Putin claimed on television that Russia had attacked military and infrastructural targets throughout Ukraine.