UN Security Council defeats Russian draft resolution on ‘aid’ to Ukraine

As an Ukrinform correspondent reports from New York, only two of the 15 members of the Security Council, Russia and China, voted in favor, while 13 abstained: Britain, France, the United States, Ireland, Norway, Albania, Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Gabon, India, and the UAE.

"If Russia cared about the humanitarian situation, it would stop bombing children and abandon the siege of cities. But it didn't," said UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Barbara Woodward after the vote.

Russia convened a meeting of the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on the same day as the UN General Assembly considered the issue.

France and Mexico refused to submit the draft resolution prepared by them for consideration realizing that Russia as the Security Council permanent member would veto it. Therefore, the draft document was submitted for discussion to the General Assembly, which adopts a decision by a simple majority.

In Russia’s draft, Russia itself is not mentioned as a culprit of the humanitarian disaster.

Russia tries to put to a vote at the General Assembly a similar draft, sponsored by South Africa and inspired by Moscow, but it is very likely to be defeated as well.

Instead, the General Assembly is expected to adopt resolution "Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine" on Thursday.

The emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on the situation in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion continued in New York. The previous meeting of the emergency session took place on February 28 - March 2. On March 2, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution "Aggression against Ukraine", which condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanded that Russia immediately withdraw troops from Ukrainian territory.

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