U.N. publicly rejects Russia’s call for secret vote on Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 10 (Reuters) – The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia’s call for the 193-member physique to carry a secret poll later this week on whether or not to sentence Moscow’s transfer to annex 4 partially occupied areas in Ukraine.

The General Assembly determined, with 107 votes in favor, that it might maintain a public vote – not a secret poll – on a draft decision that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and the “attempted illegal annexation.” Diplomats mentioned the vote on the decision would possible be on Wednesday or Thursday.

Only 13 international locations on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft decision, one other 39 international locations abstained and the remaining international locations – together with Russia and China – didn’t vote.

Russia had argued that Western lobbying meant that “it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly.” During the assembly on Monday Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia questioned the push to sentence Moscow.

“What does this have to do with peace and security or trying to settle conflicts?” mentioned Nebenzia, describing it as “yet one more step towards division and escalation, which I’m sure is not something the absolute majority of states in this room need.”

After the General Assembly determined on Monday that it might maintain a public vote on the draft decision, Russia instantly tried to get the physique to rethink the problem, however it overwhelmingly failed.

Moscow has moved to annex 4 partially occupied areas in Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – after staging what it referred to as referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes as unlawful and coercive.

The draft U.N. General Assembly decision calls on states to not acknowledge Russia’s transfer and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

‘TRAIL OF BLOOD’

Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya referred to as on international locations to defend the ideas of the founding U.N. Charter.

“A trail of blood is left behind the Russian delegation when it enters the General Assembly and the hall is filled up with the smell of smoldering human flesh. That’s what we have tolerated in Syria. That’s what is happening today in Ukraine,” he advised the General Assembly on Monday.

Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States referred to as “horrific strikes”, killing civilians and knocking out energy and warmth with its most widespread air assaults for the reason that begin of the battle greater than seven months in the past.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed the worldwide group earlier on Monday to clarify that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions had been “completely unacceptable.”

“Now is the time to speak out in support for Ukraine; it is not the time for abstentions, placating words, or equivocations under claims of neutrality. The core principles of the U.N. Charter are at stake,” Blinken mentioned in a press release.

Russia vetoed an identical decision within the 15-member Security Council final month. It has been attempting to chip away at its worldwide isolation after practically three-quarters of the General Assembly reprimanded Moscow and demanded it withdraw its troops inside every week of its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The strikes on the United Nations mirror what occurred in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft decision that opposed a referendum on the standing of Crimea and urged international locations to not acknowledge it.

The General Assembly then adopted a decision declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favor, 11 in opposition to and 58 formal abstentions, whereas two dozen international locations did not participate.

Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Alistair Bell and Rosalba O’Brien

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