Nigeria, 106 others back UN vote voicing support for Ukraine

By Tiamiyu Prudence Arobani

Nigeria joined 106 other members of the UN General Assembly to voice support for Ukraine on Tuesday on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.

The General Assembly meeting, which held in an emergency special session, adopted a resolution titled “Support for lasting peace in Ukraine”.

The resolution passed by a tally of 107 countries in favor, 12 against, and 51 abstentions, which included the United States.

The resolution called for comprehensive, just and lasting peace; immediate and unconditional ceasefire; exchange of prisoners of war and return of civilians forcibly transferred, including children.

The assembly, in the resolution, said it was committed to “the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said yhe full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent adding, war must never be the new normal.

“Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another world because generations like mine have always had the privilege to live a life in peace,” Baerbock said.

“But this changed four years ago with the full invasion by Russia, of the neighbouring country of Ukraine.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres regretted that 24 February marks four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in violation of the UN Charter & international law.

“This devastating war is a stain on our collective consciousness & remains a threat to regional & international peace & security,” Guterres said.

“The longer the war continues, the deadlier it becomes. Civilians bear the brunt of this conflict, with 2025 witnessing the largest number of civilians killed in Ukraine.

“This is simply unacceptable. I reiterate my call for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, lasting & comprehensive peace”.

He said the international community must “use every diplomatic tool” to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday as Russia’s full-scale invasion entered a fifth year.

At the UN Security Council debate, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mariana Betsa, said the Russian Federations’s invasion is a “war against the rules-based international order”.

Betsa cited mass strikes on civilians, nuclear risks and the deportation of children as potential war crimes.

She stressed that peace requires an “immediate ceasefire”, she called for stronger sanctions, air defence and binding security guarantees.

Tthe Ukraine’s diplomat said her country rejected territorial concessions and insisted sovereignty is a “red line”, while urging prisoner exchanges and accountability, warning that if aggression prevails “no country will feel safe”.

The Russian Federation’s delegate said the meeting “has nothing to do with maintaining international peace and security” and accused European States of fuelling war while ignoring negotiations.

He alleged the 2014 change of power brought a “neo-Nazi regime” to Kyiv and claimed crimes against Russian speakers were overlooked.

Moscow reaffirmed diplomacy as “preferable,” insisting any settlement address the conflict’s “root causes” and reflect “new territorial realities”.

(NAN)