Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia on Friday of “ignoring the voice” of the majority at a session of the UN General Assembly two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.
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“Unfortunately, Russia ignores the will of the world majority, continues its aggression and throws more and more men into the flames of war,” said Dmytro Kuleba.
“Russia cannot ignore the voice of the majority of the world if we take a principled stance and act together,” he added, calling on all member states to take part in a peace conference to be organized in Switzerland.
Many European foreign ministers traveled to the United Nations on Friday, from Britain's David Cameron to France's Stéphane Séjourné, for this General Assembly meeting and another Security Council meeting later in the day.
The West wanted to show its political support for Ukraine at a time when the Ukrainian army has been weakened by the blockage of American aid, the failure of its summer counteroffensive and a growing shortage of men and ammunition.
But unlike last year, this day will not be marked by a vote, in a context where the war between Israel and Hamas is now at the center of United Nations diplomatic disputes.
In February 2023, the UN General Assembly again called for an “immediate” withdrawal of Russian troops that had invaded Ukraine a year earlier and voted overwhelmingly (141 in favor, 7 against, 32 abstentions) in favor of a resolution also requiring one “Just and permanent” withdrawal called for peace.
Three previous resolutions related to the Russian invasion had received between 140 and 143 yes votes, with a handful of countries systematically voting against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea) and fewer than 40 abstaining.