Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia removes his mask before speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the General Assembly emergency special session in New York, on February 28, 2022. AFP
UNITED NATIONS 鈥� Encountering deepening global isolation, Russia faced urgent calls Monday to end its 鈥渦nprovoked鈥� and 鈥渦njustified鈥� assault on Ukraine as the UN General Assembly鈥檚 193 members held an extraordinary debate on the invasion of the ex-Soviet state.
During the rare emergency special session, just the 11th the Assembly has held in its history, Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbor as nation after nation urged peace from the podium.
On the sidelines, the United States said it was expelling from the country 12 鈥渋ntelligence operatives鈥� at Russia鈥檚 United Nations mission for 鈥渆ngaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.鈥�
Inside the General Assembly hall, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pleaded: 鈥淭he fighting in Ukraine must stop. Enough is enough.鈥�
Representatives of more than 100 countries are expected to speak over three days as the global body decides if it will support a resolution that demands Russia immediately withdraws its troops from Ukraine.
A vote is expected Wednesday, and it must reach a two-thirds threshold to pass. The resolution is non-binding but will serve as a marker of how isolated Russia is.
Its authors hope they may exceed 100 votes in favor 鈥� though countries including Syria, China, Cuba and India are expected to either support Russia or abstain.
鈥淲e do not feel isolated,鈥� Russia鈥檚 UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters.
He reiterated Moscow鈥檚 stance, flatly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies, that its military operation was launched to protect residents of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
鈥淭he hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents,鈥� he said during his address.
The vote is also being seen as a barometer of democracy in a world where autocratic sentiment has been on the rise, diplomats said, pointing to such regimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nicaragua 鈥� and of course Russia.
鈥淚f Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions,鈥� said Ukraine鈥檚 ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya.
鈥業鈥檓 afraid鈥�
During an emotional speech, Kyslytsya held up images of what he said were the final text messages from a Russian soldier to his mother before he was killed.
鈥淢ama, I鈥檓 in Ukraine. I鈥檓 afraid,鈥� Kyslytsya said, reading the messages. 鈥淭hey call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard.鈥�
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Moscow has pleaded 鈥渟elf-defense鈥� under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
But that has been roundly rejected by Western countries and the United Nations itself. They accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis.
Addressing the General Assembly, British ambassador Barbara Woodward said the war was 鈥渦nprovoked, unjustified.鈥�
The resolution would be 鈥渁 message to the world: that the rules we built together must be defended,鈥� she added. 鈥淏ecause otherwise, who might be next?鈥�
China鈥檚 UN envoy Zhang Jun warned that 鈥渘othing can be gained from starting off a new Cold War,鈥� but did not indicate how Beijing would vote.
The move to hold the emergency session was sparked by Russia using its veto Friday to block a similarly-worded Security Council resolution.
Council members can turn to the General Assembly if the five permanent members 鈥� Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States 鈥� fail to agree to act together to maintain peace.
鈥楬ostile act鈥�
There is no veto right at the General Assembly, which held a similar vote in 2014 condemning Russia鈥檚 seizure of Crimea and obtained 100 votes in support.
The Security Council held a separate emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that the fighting was expected to displace four million people.
Nebenzia broke the news of the 12 expelled diplomats during a press conference, saying he had just heard the dozen had been told to leave the United States by March 7.
A US spokeswoman said the move had been 鈥渋n development for several months,鈥� implying it was not directly related to the war.
In response, Moscow called the expulsions a 鈥渉ostile act.鈥�
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