New York, February 15 – The United Nations has scheduled meetings next week aimed at demanding an end to the war in Ukraine as Russia has launched new military offensives that will drag the war into a second year.
The U.N. Security Council plans to meet on February 24, 2023 – the first anniversary of the war – to discuss new diplomatic action against Russia.
Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 the U.N. has repeatedly condemned the action as a violation of the U.N. Charter, which calls for resolving disputes through peaceful means, and international rule of law.
Russia has used its veto power as one of five permanent members of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council to blunt all diplomatic action aimed ending the war. The other permanent members are the United States, United Kingdom, France and China.
On February 25, 2022 the council voted 11-1 on a resolution that demanded an immediate stop of the Russian aggression and withdrawal of troops. Russia voted no, which amounted to a veto. The three countries that abstained were China, India and United Arab Emirates.
On September 30, 2022, Russia cast a veto and effectively blocked the council from adopting a resolution that would have condemned President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of four regions in Ukraine as “illegal.”
Ten council members voted in favor of the resolution: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Albania, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway and United Arab Emirates. And four abstained: China, India, Brazil and Gabon.
U.N. General Assembly to meet on February 22, 2023
The General Assembly, comprised of 193 nations, will resume its emergency session on the Ukraine war on February 22 at the request of Albania, Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Korea, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the Head of the EU Delegation on behalf of 27 members.
The assembly will discuss and is expected vote on a new resolution entitled the “Principles underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” which calls for Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”
The assembly adopted five resolutions in 2022 accusing Russia of violating the U.N. Charter and demanding an end to the war. But resolutions adopted by the assembly are not binding on its members.
—The first resolution on March 2 demanded an immediate Russian cease-fire, withdrawal of all its troops and protection for all civilians with a strong vote – 141-5 with 35 abstentions.
—In the second one on March 24, the assembly voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions. That resolution blamed Russia for Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate cease-fire and protection for millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their survival.
—The third one on April 7 suspended Russia’s membership from the U.N.’s Geneva-based Human Rights Council. It said Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. That vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.
—The fourth one on October 12 condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions with a 143-5 vote and 35 abstentions.
—The fifth resolution on November 14 demanded that Russia be held accountable for violating international law by invading Ukraine and it must pay reparations for widespread damage in Ukraine and for Ukrainians killed and injured in the war. The vote was 94-14 with 73 abstentions.
(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
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