UN publicly rejects Russia’s call for secret vote on Ukraine

• On Monday, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted against Russia’s request for a secret vote later this week to decide whether to condemn Moscow’s move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.
• With 107 votes in favour, the General Assembly decided that it would not hold a secret vote on a draught resolution that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and “attempted illegal annexation.”
• Instead, it will hold a public vote.

On Monday, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted against Russia’s request for a secret vote later this week to decide whether to condemn Moscow’s move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine.

With 107 votes in favour, the General Assembly decided that it would not hold a secret vote on a draught resolution that condemns Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and “attempted illegal annexation.” Instead, it will hold a public vote. Diplomats said that the vote on the resolution would probably happen on Wednesday or Thursday.

On Monday, only 13 countries were against putting the draught resolution up for a public vote. Another 39 countries abstained, and the rest, including Russia and China, did not vote.

Russia had said that lobbying from the West meant that “it may be very hard for positions to be made public.” During the meeting on Monday, Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador, questioned the push to blame Moscow.

Nebenzia remarked, “What does this have to do with peace and security?” He termed it “another step toward divisiveness and escalation,” which most nations don’t want.

After the General Assembly voted Monday to vote on the draught resolution, Russia sought to urge the assembly to reconsider, but it failed.

Moscow has annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia after staging “referendums.” Ukraine and its supporters called the elections unconstitutional and coercive.

The draught UNGA resolution advises nations not to recognise Russia’s action and restates Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Brutal path
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s UN ambassador, urged other nations to uphold the UN Charter.

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