On Wednesday, October 12, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Russia to reverse its “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions as a result of “so-called illegal referenda.
Like the Republic of Benin, Chad voted in favor of the resolution. The text of the resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine: defense of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”, was adopted by 143 votes to 5 with 35 abstentions.
A debate on the draft resolution underway since Monday before the vote on Wednesday
The General Assembly held a debate on the draft resolution after Russia used its veto power in the Security Council over its attempted annexation. The debate began on Monday, with General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi calling for “finding a political solution based on the UN Charter and international law.”
The resolution states that “the illegal acts of the Russian Federation concerning the so-called illegal referendums held from 23 to 27 September 2022 in parts of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, which are or have been partly under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation, as well as the subsequent attempt to illegally annex these regions, have no validity under international law and cannot serve as a basis for any change in the status of these regions of Ukraine.
States, international organizations and others called to distance themselves from Russia
The General Assembly “calls upon all States, international organizations and specialized agencies of the United Nations system not to recognize any change by the Russian Federation in the status of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine, in whole or in part, and to refrain from any action or contact that could be construed as recognition of such a change in status.
Cancellation of annexation decisions and withdrawal of Russian troops, the two demands of the Assembly
The General Assembly demands that the Russian Federation “immediately and unconditionally rescind” its decisions of 21 February and 29 September 2022 regarding the status of certain areas of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia “and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders of the country.”
