But even Moscow’s close friends China and India chose to abstain rather than vote against the resolution condemning the Kremlin’s latest actions in Ukraine. United States Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield introduced the resolution at the Security Council meeting on Friday calling on member states not to recognize any amended status of Ukraine and obliging Russia to withdraw its troops. Earlier, it was the biggest annexation in Europe since World War II, when Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Russian sovereignty over four regions that make up 15 percent of Ukraine’s territory. The resolution, co-sponsored by the US and Albania, called for the condemnation of “illegal” referendums held in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine and for all states not to recognize any changes to Ukraine’s borders. The resolution also called on Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine, ending the invasion that began on February 24. Ten nations voted in favor of the resolution, while China, Gabon, India and Brazil abstained. “No country voted with Russia. Not one,” Thomas-Greenfield told reporters after the meeting, adding that the abstentions were “obviously not in defense of Russia.” Russia’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, who raised his hand to show the only vote against the resolution, argued that the regions, where Moscow has taken territory by force and where fighting continues to rage, had chosen to be part of Russia. “There will be no going back, as today’s draft resolution will try to impose,” Nebenzia told the meeting. Ukraine’s UN ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said the single hand raised against the resolution “witnessed again Russia’s isolation and its desperate attempts to deny the reality of our common commitments, starting with the UN charter.” UK envoy Barbara Woodward said Russia had “abused the veto to defend its illegal actions”, but said the annexations had “no legal effect”. “It’s a fantasy,” he added. Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from the United Nations in New York, said in response to the resolution that the Russian representative “sounded skeptical” and it was no surprise that Russia then used its power as a permanent member of the Security Council to veto the resolution. “But it is notable that four other council members decided not to support the resolution and instead abstained – China, Brazil, Gabon and India,” Bays said. “Right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when the UN General Assembly voted in early March, 141 countries voted to condemn Russia’s actions. After the Security Council vote and the abstentions, some will ask if it is possible to reach the high water level again,” he said. The UK ambassador to the UN spoke to @AJEnglish following Russia’s veto in the UN Security Council of a draft resolution condemning annexation votes being held in areas of occupied Ukraine. @BWoodward_UN of @UKUN_NewYork told @baysontheroad the issue will go to the General Assembly next week. pic.twitter.com/rLgfYcrVhs — Amanda Price (@amandaruthprice) September 30, 2022
Beijing is uncomfortable
China abstained from voting on the resolution, but also expressed concerns about “a protracted and widening crisis” in Ukraine. China has been firmly on the fence over the conflict in Ukraine, criticizing Western sanctions against Russia, but has not supported or assisted Moscow’s military campaign, despite the two nations declaring “borderless” strategic cooperation in February. In a surprise admission, Putin recently said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had concerns about Ukraine. Beijing’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun argued that while “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be safeguarded,” countries’ “legitimate security concerns” should also be taken seriously. “More than seven months after the Ukraine crisis, the crisis and its spillovers have had a wide range of negative effects. The prospect of a prolonged and widened crisis is also worrying. China is deeply concerned about this prospect,” the ambassador said in a statement. Ambassador Zhang Jun’s explanation of vote on the UN Security Council draft resolution on Ukraine pic.twitter.com/xUm2bcsx5e — China Mission to the UN (@Chinamission2un) October 1, 2022 A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said China’s abstention from the vote showed that Russia’s “sword” and moves to threaten the territorial integrity of other states put China in an “uncomfortable position”. “We don’t have China signing up to this much more aggressive agenda that Russia is trying to sell,” the official said.
