Six countries joined Russia in opposing UN resolution on peace in Ukraine

Six countries sided with Russia during a United Nations General Assembly resolution on Thursday in which 141 countries voted to end hostilities in Ukraine and for Russia to withdraw its troops.

Belarus, North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, Mali and Nicaragua joined Russia in opposing the declaration.

While the resolution does not force Russia to leave Ukraine, it does signify international condemnation of Moscow’s aggression.

The vote marks a slight increase from the four countries that voted against an October resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories. Mali and Eritrea abstained at the time.

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The six countries opposed to the resolution have established close military ties with Russia. The amendments proposed by Belarus would have stripped most of the wording of the resolution, but suffered a crushing defeat.

Countries that abstained during Thursday’s vote included South Africa, China and India.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the victory 141 votes to 7, saying it was indicative of global support for Ukraine.

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Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at United Nations Headquarters. (AP Photo/John Mincillo)

“This vote challenges the argument that the global south is not on Ukraine’s side,” Kuleba said. Many countries representing Latin America, Africa, and Asia voted in favor.

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Friday marks the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people on both sides, destroyed entire Ukrainian cities, and pushed up food and fuel prices around the world.

A Russian soldier climbs the stairs at the Mariupol Drama Theater hit by an airstrike on March 16, 2022 in Mariupol on April 12, 2022, as Russian forces step up their campaign to seize the strategic port city as part of an expected massive offensive into eastern Ukraine. , while the Russian president makes a defiant case for war with Russia’s neighbor. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV/AFP)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.