The United Nations: Russia, as expected, veto the resolution of the UN Security Council on Friday that “regret in the strongest term” “aggression” of the state against Ukraine and demanding direct withdrawal of troops.
Eleven of the 15 board members chose motion, written together by the United States and Albania. China, India and UAE Abstain.
The resolution is always destined to fail because of the power of Veto Moscow as a permanent member of the council.
Still, the debate offered an important opportunity room to voice his criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s decision to launch full-scale offensive towards Russian neighbors.
“Let me make one thing clearly,” said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield after the vote. “Russian, you can veto this resolution, but you can’t veto our voice, you can’t veto truth, you can’t veto our principle, you can’t veto Ukrainians.”
Russia, which currently holds the presidency of a rotating Security Council, is likely to face other voting at the same resolution before the wider UN General Assembly which can be passed by substantial margins, although it will not bind.
“Don’t get me wrong, Russia isolated. There is no support for the invasion of Ukraine,” said the British Ambassador to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward.
Before voting, Thomas-Greenfield described the attack as “so brave, so brave, that it threatens our international system as we know.
“We have a serious obligation to not look away … Minimal, we have an obligation to mind,” he said.