Protesters gather outside of the United Nations (UN) as members vote in the UN General Assembly during a special session on the violence in Ukraine on March 02, 2022 in New York City. Members voted overwhelmingly for a non-binding resolution that condemns Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and demands that Russia immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine.聽 (Getty Images via AFP)
UNITED NATIONS, United States 鈥� The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution that 鈥渄emands鈥� Russia 鈥渋mmediately鈥� withdraw from Ukraine, in a powerful rebuke of Moscow鈥檚 invasion by a vast majority of the world鈥檚 nations.
After more than two days of extraordinary debate, which saw the Ukrainian ambassador accuse Russia of genocide, 141 out of 193 United Nations member states voted for the non-binding resolution.
China was among the 35 countries which abstained, while just five 鈥� Eritrea, North Korea, Syria, Belarus and of course Russia 鈥� voted against it.
The resolution 鈥渄eplores鈥� the invasion of Ukraine 鈥渋n the strongest terms鈥� and condemns President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 decision to put his nuclear forces on alert.
The vote had been touted by diplomats as a bellwether of democracy in a world where autocracy is on the rise, and came as Putin鈥檚 forces bear down on Kyiv while terrified Ukrainians flee.
鈥淭hey have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to exist,鈥� Ukraine鈥檚 ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Assembly ahead of the vote.
鈥淚t鈥檚 already clear that the goal of Russia is not an occupation only. It is genocide.鈥�
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 who accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring UN members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis.
The European Union鈥檚 ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog said the vote was 鈥渘ot just about Ukraine.鈥�
鈥淚t is about defending an international order based on rules we all have signed up to,鈥� he said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the General Assembly鈥檚 message was 鈥渓oud and clear.鈥�
鈥淓nd hostilities in Ukraine 鈥� now. Silence the guns 鈥� now,鈥� he said in a statement.
鈥淎s bad as the situation is for the people in Ukraine right now, it threatens to get much, much worse. The ticking clock is a time bomb.鈥�
Some delegations chose to place stuffed animals on their tables during the session 鈥� a stark visual reminder of the conflict鈥檚 devastating impact on children.
鈥榃ho will be next?鈥�
The text of the resolution 鈥� led by European countries in coordination with Ukraine 鈥� has undergone numerous changes in recent days.
It no longer 鈥渃ondemns鈥� the invasion as initially expected, but instead 鈥渄eplores in the strongest terms the Russian Federation鈥檚 aggression against Ukraine.鈥�
Nearly every General Assembly speaker unreservedly condemned the war.
鈥淚f the United Nations has any purpose, it is to prevent war,鈥� the US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said during her speech on Wednesday.
She accused Russia of 鈥減reparing to increase the brutality of its campaign.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen videos of Russian forces moving exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine, which has no place on the battlefield. That includes cluster munitions and vacuum bombs, which are banned under the Geneva Convention,鈥� Thomas-Greenfield said.
Russia鈥檚 ally Belarus offered a staunch defense of the invasion, however.
Ambassador Valentin Rybakov blasted sanctions imposed by the West on Russia as 鈥渢he worst example of economic and financial terrorism.鈥�
And he followed other Russian allies such as Syria in condemning the 鈥渄ouble standards鈥� of Western nations who have invaded countries including Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan in recent decades.
Other speakers cited fears of a domino effect should Ukraine fall to Russia. Colombia railed against any return to 鈥渆mpire,鈥� while Albania wondered: 鈥淲ho will be next?鈥�
From the Arab world it was Kuwait, itself the victim of an invasion by Iraq in 1990, whose denunciation of Moscow was the most explicit.
China, India abstain
Japan and New Zealand led condemnation from Asia, but the continent鈥檚 giants 鈥� China, India and Pakistan 鈥� all abstained. During the debate Beijing had stressed the world had 鈥渘othing to gain鈥� from a new Cold War.
On the meeting鈥檚 sidelines, Washington has taken aim at Russians working at the United Nations, leveling accusations of espionage and demanding expulsions.
US President Joe Biden asserted Tuesday in his State of the Union address that Putin had underestimated the response to the invasion.
鈥淗e rejected efforts at diplomacy鈥� And, he thought he could divide us here at home,鈥� Biden said.
鈥淧utin was wrong. We were ready.鈥�