Representative Photo
New York: The European Union on Wednesday circulated the resolution to be voted on by the U.N. General Assembly on the eve of next week’s first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stressing “the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in line with the founding United Nations Charter.”
There are no vetoes in the 193-member world body, so the resolution is certain to be adopted at the end of a high-level emergency special session of the assembly on February 23. But the big question is how many “yes” votes it will get.
Ukraine and its supporters hope to deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation by seeking yes votes from nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly to match – if not better – the support received for several resolutions last year.
“We count on very broad support from the membership. What is at stake is not just the fate of Ukraine, it is the respect of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state,” said European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog, who helped lead the drafting of the General Assembly resolution.
Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy declined to comment on the draft resolution, which member states received on Wednesday.
The General Assembly has been the focus for UN action on Ukraine because the 15-member Security Council has been paralyzed by Russia, which holds a veto power along with the United States, China, France and Britain.
The Security Council has instead held dozens of meetings on Ukraine in the past year and will again discuss the war next Friday at a ministerial gathering. Diplomats said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is unlikely to travel to New York.
With inputs from agencies.
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