UN says Ukraine cannot be divided on invasion anniversary

By David Brunnstrom and Emma Farge

NEW YORK/GENEVA, Feb 24 (Reuters) – The U.N. General Assembly adopted by a wide margin on Tuesday a motion supporting Ukraine, backing its international borders and voicing concern over intensifying Russian attacks on civilians and critical energy infrastructure.

The vote by the assembly, which has repeatedly supported Ukraine, passed with 107 in favour; 12 against; and 51 abstentions, and was seen as a test of solidarity with Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

A breakdown of voting on the resolution, which is not legally binding but carries political weight, showed that Russia, Belarus and Sudan were among the opponents while China and the United States abstained.

The 15-member Security Council has been deadlocked throughout the war and unable to take action on Ukraine because Russia holds a veto.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged allies from Kyiv to maintain their support as divisions among European partners over a fresh package of sanctions against Moscow overshadowed commemorations of the start of the conflict. 

But, in another sign of support at the United Nations, dozens of countries including France, Britain, Canada, Japan and Peru gathered to condemn Russia’s violations at a meeting on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. 

“What Russia has done and is doing in Ukraine right now is violating every principle in the book,” Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign minister, told the meeting.

“Everything the U.N. stands for is being violated,” he added, ending his speech with “Glory to Ukraine!”.

A group of mostly European diplomats also walked out of a meeting of the Conference on Disarmament during a speech by Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov in Geneva. They gathered outside, holding the Ukrainian flag and wearing sashes in the national colours.

The U.S. did not appear to have sent a representative.

Russia has given various reasons for sending troops into its neighbour, including needing to “demilitarise” Ukraine and respond to the U.S.-led NATO alliance’s eastward expansion in the years since the Soviet Union collapsed.

Kyiv and its Western allies deny posing a threat to Russia, which they accuse of staging a land-grab. 

(Reporting by Emma Farge, Cecile Mantovani and David ; editing by Friederike Heine, Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson)