UN Votes to Demand Russia Leaves Ukraine Immediately

The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to demand that Russia leave immediately and unconditionally from Ukraine, calling for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace”.

141 countriesvoted in favor of the resolution on Thursday evening, with seven nations opposed, while 32 countries, including China, abstained.

Russia had labored hard to break its isolation by accusing the west for arming the region and pointing to the escalating famine crisis it blamed on western sanctions.

Nonetheless, Ukraine’s supporters had attempted to maximize talks and emphasized Ukraine’s desire to engage in conversation in the resolution.

Ukraine was also persuaded to eliminate references to bringing the Russian leadership before a special war crimes tribunal.

The vote was greeted with applause, and Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, called the resolution “a powerful signal of unflagging global support for Ukraine” in a late-Thursday tweet.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: “By voting in favour of today’s UN general assembly resolution 141 UN member states made it clear that Russia must end its illegal aggression. Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be restored. One year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion global support for Ukraine remains strong.”

Because Russia’s veto power renders the UN Security Council virtually redundant in this instance, the General Assembly has become the most significant UN body dealing with Ukraine.

Unlike Security Council decisions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they serve as a good gauge of global sentiment.