France and UK's shifting stance raises Russian IRE at UN
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, questions the sincerity of France's and the United Kingdom's comments during votes on resolutions regarding the Ukrainian crisis in the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. Zakharova highlights the inconsistency in these two European nations' decisions.
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On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly discussed two key peace resolutions. The first draft, submitted by Kyiv and its European allies, calls for de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, and a peaceful resolution in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law.
The second, concise American draft, consisting of only three paragraphs, laments the loss of life during the "Russian-Ukrainian conflict" and reminds us that the "primary purpose of the UN is to maintain peace and security in the world and to resolve disputes peacefully." It also calls for a "quick end to the conflict" and a "lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia."
The draft resolution does not name the aggressor in the conflict and does not mention Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, lauded it as a "step in the right direction"—it is the resolution that the UN Security Council voted on.
Zakharova criticises France and the United Kingdom
Maria Zakharova highlighted that both resolutions in the UN General Assembly received the lowest number of votes since the start of the emergency special session, with only 93 countries in favour, which she described as significant. She also pointed out that France and the United Kingdom, despite having veto power in the Security Council, chose not to block the resolution.
Maria Zakharova questioned the sincerity of France and the United Kingdom, asking whether they were genuine when they modified the American draft resolution in the UN General Assembly or when they later accepted the same draft without any changes.
Maria Zakharova sarcastically remarked that walking between the General Assembly and Security Council halls takes only three minutes. She questioned whether France and the United Kingdom altered their stances on the global crisis within that short time or switched masks to suit different situations.
Russians pleased with UN's decision
The UN Security Council voted on the American resolution concerning the conflict in Ukraine in its original form, rejecting both the amendments from European countries and the changes proposed by Russia. The US abstained from voting on all amendments.
According to Zakharova, the UN Security Council resolution, which does not condemn Russia, is more significant than the UN General Assembly resolution because it sets the proper framework and calls for peace.
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