The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in a largely symbolic rebuke to Russian President Vladmir Putin and his supporters that is unlikely to alter the course of the war.
U.N. members voted 141 to 5 to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine and affirm that no territorial gains stemming from the use of force—or threatened use of force—will be recognized as legal there. The resolution, from which 34 countries including China and India abstained, also expressed “grave concern” about attacks on civilian facilities and civilian casualties.
“Today we call on Russia to stop its unprovoked, unjustified, unconscionable war,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., before the vote. “We stand together in holding Russia accountable for its violations of international law, and to address the horrific human rights and humanitarian crisis unfolding before our very eyes.”
While resolutions of the General Assembly can send a message on the position of world leaders, they have no binding force, unlike resolutions from the 15-member U.N. Security Council.
Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, vetoed a Security Council resolution last month that would have required it to withdraw from Ukraine.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.N., Sergiy Kyslytsya, called the vote “one of the building blocks to build a wall to stop” Russia’s invasion of his country.
Moscow, Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Eritrea condemned the resolution as a hypocritical signal from the West.
President Biden, in a statement, said the vote “demonstrates the extent of global outrage at Russia’s horrific assault on a sovereign neighbor and showcased unprecedented unity.” He added that the vote “lays bare Putin’s isolation. It also holds Belarus accountable for its unacceptable involvement in this war.”