Russia has vetoed a UN Security Council vote demanding Moscow cease its assault on Ukraine.
In the vote that took place today, 11 of the council’s 115 members voted for the text while China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained. A “no” from any permanent measure from the council means it cannot pass, thus Russia’s veto has prevented further progress.
The text was prepared by the US and Albania and called for “action by air, sea, or land force to enforce international peace and security.”
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Secretary-General António Guterres, said that while the United Nations had today not achieved its primary objective to end war, “we must never give up.”
“We must give peace another chance. Soldiers need to return to their barracks. Leaders need to turn to the path of dialogue and peace,” he said.
Despite growing operational challenges, he reiterated that the UN is scaling up the delivery of life-saving support on both sides of the border.
“Time after time, when the international community has rallied together in solidarity, those values have prevailed. They will prevail, independently of what happened today,” the UN chief said.
“We must do everything in our power so that they prevail in Ukraine but they prevail for all humanity,” he concluded.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia’s invasion “so bold, so brazen”, adding “You can veto this resolution but you cannot veto our voices; cannot veto the truth; cannot veto our principles; cannot veto the Ukrainian people; cannot veto the UN Charter…and you will not veto accountability.”
The US Ambassador said that despite the actions of a “reckless, irresponsible”, the United States will continue to stand with Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzy accused the draft’s sponsors of “spinning tales” about the situation in Ukraine, including Western allies’ attempts to cover up the fact that they had been flooding the Donbas with weapons.
“You have made Ukraine a pawn in your own game… this resolution is nothing other than yet another brutal, inhumane move on this Ukrainian chessboard,” he said.
Addressing the representatives of France, the UK and US, he said there was no evidence of the death of Ukrainian civilians; that photographs of supposed Russian artillery “is fake”; and that reports of attacks on civilian infrastructure were untrue.
Moreover, with its history of aggressions against other countries, the United States was “in no position to moralize.”
