The United Nations votes to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine, and China abstains

The United Nations (UN) issued a resolution Demands the withdrawal of Russian military forces stationed in Ukraine. The text was voted on by the member states of the United Nations General Assembly This Thursday (23 February 2023). Read the full of resolution (189 KB, in English).

In all, 141 countries voted in favor of withdrawing Russian forces, including Brazil. Nicaragua and Syria are among the seven countries that opposed the resolution. China and 31 other countries, including Iran, Pakistan and South Africa, chose to abstain.

The resolution required Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine”.

Brazil’s position comes at a time when he was the president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) seeks to position the country as a mediator to end the conflict. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Thursday that Moscow is analyzing the peace proposal put forward by the head of the Brazilian executive.

Lula is also preparing to speak on the phone with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The date for the call has not yet been set.

The United Nations General Assembly, made up of 193 countries, meets in regular sessions from September to December throughout the year or “when necessary”. Participating countries discuss specific issues, such as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, through specific agenda items or sub-items, which leads to the adoption of resolutions.

This was the eleventh special emergency session, which I started On Wednesday (22 February). And The fourth time that the United Nations Ask That the Russian army has been leaving Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, which will be one year old on Friday (February 24).

Charles Michael, President of the European Council, He said This Thursday of the Assembly that war “Unjustified, illegal and unjustified” Regarding the Russian side.

China’s abstention comes a day after Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, director of the Office of the CPC Central Foreign Affairs Commission, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday (February 22).

On Saturday (February 18th), the United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, announced, Accused China from supplying weapons to Russia.

The American met Wang Yifei Fifty-ninth Munich Security Conferencein Germany, in the first meeting between the two countries’ authorities since the diplomatic crisis caused by the shooting down of a Chinese balloon supposedly used to spy on the United States at the beginning of the month.

“The concern we have now depends on the information they have [chineses] Consider offering Lethal Support [à Rússia]We have made it clear that this would cause a serious problem for us and our relationship.”Blinken told network television CBS News After meeting with Wang.

On Monday (February 20), two days after the US accusation, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, denied there were plans to make weapons available to Russia.

It is the United States that does not stop supplying weapons to the battlefield, not China. The United States is not qualified to give orders to China. The Chinese spokesman said in an interview with reporters.