UN votes to condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine, but China again stays silent

The General Assembly’s vote to denounce the attacks ordered by Vladimir Putin was 141 in favour, 5 opposed and 35 abstentions, including Beijing

The US ambassador urged Russian soldiers to stop fighting: ‘Your leaders are lying to you. Do everything you can to put down your weapons and leave Ukraine’

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The UN General Assembly vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is displayed during Wednesday’s meeting in New York. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:53am, 3 Mar 2022Updated: 1:08pm, 9 Mar 2022

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, with China abstaining from the vote and again refusing to denounce President Vladimir Putin’s military action.

“We are facing a tragedy for Ukraine, but also a major regional crisis with potentially disastrous implications for us all,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Monday, the first of three days of debate.

The special emergency session was just the 11th in the UN’s history – a rare procedural move that lets the body take up a resolution on matters of war and peace when the UN Security Council is unable to come to a unanimous consensus on its own.

The finally tally on the resolution was 141 in favour, five opposed and 35 abstentions.

The vote came as international outrage continues to grow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea, which has already killed thousands of civilians, including children, and sent more than 600,000 refugees fleeing the country.