16th February, 2023
The United Nations is set to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a draft resolution seeking “just and lasting peace”.
Reports indicate that the UN General Assembly will vote next week on the resolution in line with the founding United Nations Charter.
This comes after urging Moscow to withdraw its troops and call for a halt to hostilities.
The 193-member General Assembly is likely to vote next Thursday after two days of speeches by dozens of states to mark the Feb. 24 anniversary of the start of the war.
Ukraine and its supporters hope to deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation by seeking yes votes from nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly to match, if not better, the support received for several resolutions last year.
“We count on very broad support from the membership. What is at stake is not just the fate of Ukraine; it is the respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of every state,” said European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog, who helped lead the drafting of the General Assembly resolution.
Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy declined to comment on the draft resolution, which member states received on Wednesday.
Reuters