In a global outpouring of rage against President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the United Nations General Assembly has condemned Russia’s illegal annexation of four areas of Ukraine last month.
The General Assembly took this action after holding an emergency session on Monday to address Moscow-backed referendums to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson in violation of international law.
In total, 143 countries backed Wednesday’s resolution reaffirming Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
Thirty-five countries abstained from voting, while Russia and four other countries with close ties to Moscow voted against it.
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The General Assembly resolution requested that Russia promptly and unconditionally rescind its decisions and implores all nations and international organizations to refuse to recognize any alteration of the four areas.
In line with its internationally recognized borders, it asks that Russia “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he was grateful to those 143 states that supported the resolution in a tweet after the vote.
”The demand is clear: Russian decisions on attempted annexation must be reversed; Russia must withdraw its forces from all of Ukraine’s territory,” he said.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia called the resolution “politicised” and “provocative” and slammed its supporters, calling them “unscrupulous Western blackmailers.”