141 countries of the 193 represented in the United Nations General Assembly approved in New York this Thursday, the eve of the first anniversary of the war launched by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, a resolution, non-bindingthat urges Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces” of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine, which includes the areas illegally annexed by Moscow. The text, prepared by Ukraine, also calls for the “cessation of hostilities & rdquor; and it has been rejected by Russia and six other countries. 32 have abstained, including China, and 13 have not voted.
Even with the vast majority, and its symbolic importance, the vote has exposed the gap in the face of the conflict that is becoming evident as it drags on. In the first vote in the General Assembly shortly after the invasion, 141 countries also condemned it, but in another vote in October, 143 censured the illegal annexation of parts of Ukraine. And Russia has added to the support of Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Nicaragua those of Mali and Eritrea.
“Globalized war & rdquor ;, but less
Josep Borrellthe head of European diplomacy, assured this Thursday at a press conference at the UN that Ukraine’s “It is not a world war, but globalized & rdquor ;. The day before, in his speech at the resolution debate, he had also rejected the accusations of the Russian ambassador, Vasili Nebenzia, that the war in Ukraine is “a conflict between the West and Russia& rdquor; and Borrell claimed that it is “north, south, east and west against Russia & rdquor;. But the truth is thator is that unit total in front of Moscow that Borrell talks about.
Only 33 countries have imposed sanctions on Russia. According to an analysis he conducted last year for the Economist Intelligence Survey. two thirds of the world’s population live in countries that have not condemned Moscow. and especially in Africabut also in Latin America and other parts of Asia and in the Middle East there is a palpable disconnection with the position of the US, the European Union and countries like Japan or Australia. Although powers of the “Global South& rdquor; as Brazil have maintained the vote in favor of the UN resolution, they have also maintained the abstention heavyweights like China and India.
Indiaprecisely, announced last week that his trade with Russia has grown 400% in the last year. Sergey Lavrov, responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Kremlin, has recently visited month and a half nine countries in the East, Middle East and Africa, including South Africawhich this Friday is participating in military naval exercises in the Indian Ocean with Russia and China and has maintained its abstention.
The message from Beijing
In his speech prior to the vote, Ambassador Dang Bi, number two of the diplomatic delegation of China at the UN it had allowed the abstention vote to be anticipated and had also reiterated the frequent messages from Beijing. “Sending weapons will not bring peace & rdquor ;, he had said, denouncing that “adding fuel to the fire will only exacerbate tensions and prolonging and expanding the conflict will only make ordinary people pay an even heavier price & rdquor ;. Dang also requested that stop “abusing unilateral sanctions & rdquor; and urged to “abandon the cold war mentality & rdquor;.
For Beijing “the priority is to facilitate a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities” and Dang asked the international community to abandon “own interests & rdquor; and the conditions for the “ceasefire” are facilitated. and to “facilitate peace talks & rdquor ;. “Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis,” the diplomat also said, calling on Russia and Ukraine to resume direct dialogue as soon as possible.
That is the route that China has taken from the beginning, and it is the one that is also expected to be speech this Friday by President Xi Jinping. And perhaps it is in that intervention where the expected “peace plan & rdquor; of the Chinese leader, although the UN has been insisting that it is a “document with positioning on the political agreement for the Ukraine crisis & rdquor ;, and this Thursday Dang reiterated that it will be broadcast “soon & rdquor ;.
US accusations
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Xi’s speech may have a retort unwanted by Beijing from Washingtonwhich as ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported on Thursday is considering the possibility of release intelligence information to shore up their claims that China is considering handing over weapons to Russia. That accusation, which china denies, was launched last weekend by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who this Friday, on the exact anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, is participating in a ministerial meeting at the UN Security Council in New York. Last year, before Russia started the war, Blinken shared intelligence on Russian plans to invade Ukraine at the Council.