The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia’s attempts to annex four regions of Ukraine. The resolution was supported by 143 countries, while 35 states – including China and India – abstained. As well as Russia, four countries rejected the vote, namely Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Nicaragua.
The countries which voted with Russia all have a longstanding stance of criticising Western governments. 19 African countries abstained from the vote. Three of four states that were visited by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in July – Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia and Uganda – chose to abstain.
Meanwhile, all four nations that featured on a recent trip by Ukraine’s own foreign minister – Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Senegal – voted at the UN to condemn Russia.
Although symbolic, it was the highest number of votes against Russia since the invasion.
The resolution calls on the international community not to recognise any of Russia’s annexation claims and demands its “immediate reversal”.
Credit: bbc.com
