Nigeria, 140 others condemn Russian invasion of Ukraine

Nigeria and 140 other member states of the United Nations Thursday voted to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine while asking the former to withdraw its troops.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) saw 141 of 180 members, who were present, vote in favour of the resolution urging a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” that it said “would constitute a significant contribution to strengthening international peace and security” and reaffirmed Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

Another 32 abstained from voting while seven including Russia voted against the resolution.

“The impact is very clear. It sets the perception,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was quoted by Aljazeera as telling reporters at the UN in New York City after the vote.

“It shows who stands where. If resolutions had no impact Russia would not be fiercely fighting against them. This is politics. This is how it is being made,” he added.

The war which began on 24 February 2022 has killed thousands of people, forced millions from their homes and fuelled a global food and energy crisis.

The UNGA in 2022 held several sessions with resolutions condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine including the annexation of four regions of Ukraine.

A total of 14 African countries abstained from voting while two voted against the resolution.

Algeria, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe are the African countries who abstained from the resolution.

The non-African countries that abstained include Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burundi, China, the Republic of Congo, Cuba, El Salvador, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Mali and Eritrea were the two African countries that voted against the resolution. The non-Africans were Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.

Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, voted in favour of the resolution.

Others include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.

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Others are Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar.

The others include the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland.

Thailand, East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zambia also voted in favour of the resolution.

The votes in the General Assembly have become a barometer of the global mood, especially since the 15-member Security Council of the UN has been largely hampered by the veto held by each of its five permanent members: China, Russia, the US, the UK and France.

The Council is due to hold a meeting in Ukraine later on Friday.