United Nations:
Russia canceled a UN Security Council vote on a “humanitarian” resolution on Ukraine, scheduled for Friday, due to a lack of support from its closest allies, diplomats said.
Moscow failed to secure co-sponsorship of the draft text from China and India, suggesting neither Beijing nor New Delhi would support it, an ambassador told AFP on Thursday.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, later confirmed during a council meeting on Ukraine that the vote would not take place.
The resolution never had a chance of being passed because it was allegedly rejected by Western powers.
However, Russia had hoped that a number of votes in favor would have shown that it still has some support on the world stage after its all-out attack on Ukraine.
Moscow had already twice postponed the vote on the controversial resolution, which condemned attacks on civilians and called for their safe passage.
Russia tabled the motion for a resolution on Tuesday on the “deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine” and requested a vote the following day.
It then changed its mind and requested that the vote be moved to Thursday before choosing Friday.
“This week Russia perversely submitted a resolution calling for, among other things, the protection of civilians, including women and children,” said British Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward.
“This is playing cynically in the face of extreme human suffering,” she added.
United States envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the Russian resolution was “insane” and “doomed to failure”.
France and Mexico plan to vote in the General Assembly on a humanitarian resolution on Ukraine they drafted together
Earlier this month, the assembly passed a massive resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighboring country on February 24.
That resolution received 141 votes in favour, five against and 35 abstentions.
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