The UNSC votes on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.N. Photo—Mark Garten
Quashed despite an 11-1 vote in its favor, the resolution saw three abstentions from China, India, and the U.A.E.
Russia on Friday exercised its power as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council to veto a draft resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and calling on it to withdraw its troops immediately.
The 11-1 vote—with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining—had the support of the majority of U.N. allies in opposition of the war. “Not surprisingly, Russia exercised its veto power today in an effort to protect Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, unjustified and unconscionable war in Ukraine,” U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said of the move at the conclusion of the vote. “But let me make one thing clear, Russia you can veto this resolution, but you cannot veto our voices,” she said.
“You cannot veto the truth,” she added. “You cannot veto our principles. You cannot veto the Ukrainian people.” The U.S., which drafted the resolution and campaigned for it, claimed it had always known Russia would veto the text, with some officials claiming this demonstrated Russia’s isolation and its disregard for the U.N. charter. Despite this, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia dismissed as a “Western conspiracy” efforts to hold it accountable. He thanked the three countries that had abstained from the vote and denied that Russia had targeted any civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
He also hit out at the U.S. for its own military conflicts, pointing to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 that had been falsely premised on Saddam Hussein possessing chemical weapons.
“It is difficult for us to compete with the U.S. in terms of invasions,” the Russian ambassador said. “You are in no position to moralize.”
In a posting on Twitter, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed Thomas-Greenfield’s stance that Russia was the minority in the U.N. “As Russia continues to attack Kyiv, the draft resolution is co-sponsored by an unprecedented number of U.N. member states,” he said. “This proves: the world is with us, the truth is with us, the victory will be ours,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the UNSC meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that while the global body had failed to achieve its primary objective of ending the war, “we must never give up.”
Stressing that peace must be given another chance, he said all leaders needed to “turn to the path of dialogue and peace.”
Russia and Ukraine are currently in talks to commence negotiations that broker a ceasefire and an end to the military conflict. Proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the talks have been welcomed by the Ukrainian leadership, who have suggested using Israel as a mediator due to its “close ties” to both Moscow and the U.S.