The 193-member U.N. General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia’s request to hold a secret voting on whether to denounce Moscow’s attempt to annexe four partially occupied regions of Ukraine. With 107 votes in favour, the General Assembly decided that it would hold a public vote – and not a secret ballot – on Russia’s annexation of Ukraine. Diplomats said that the voting will be on Wednesday.
On Monday, only 13 nations rejected a vote in Public on the resolution draught, 39 countries were silent, and the rest did not participate. Russia had argued that a secret ballot was needed because of western lobby meant that “it may be difficult if positions are expressed publicly”.
India voted to reject Russia’s demand for a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution to condemn Moscow’s “illegal” annexations of four regions of Ukraine.
Moscow has occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine after what they call it as referendums. The voting was criticised heavily as unlawful by Ukraine and Western governments.
U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken urged the international community on Monday to make clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions are “completely unacceptable“. He added that “now is the time to speak our in support for Ukraine; it is not the time for placating words or being neutral. The core principles of U.N charter are at stake”.
The General Assembly passed a resolution invalidating the referendums with 100 votes in favour, 11 votes against, and 58 countries abstentions. Twenty-one countries chose not to participate.
Image credits: Theirworld
