Russia has used its veto at the United Nations Security Council to scuttle a draft resolution that sought to condemn its annexations of Ukrainian territory.
But even Moscow’s close friends China and India chose to abstain rather than vote against the resolution that condemned the Kremlin’s latest actions in Ukraine.
According to international media, United States ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield introduced the resolution to the Security Council meeting on Friday that called on member states not to recognise any altered status of Ukraine and obliged Russia to withdraw its troops.
Earlier, the biggest annexation in Europe since World War II was undertaken when Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russian rule over four regions that make up 15 percent of Ukraine’s territory.
The resolution, co-sponsored by the US and Albania, called for the condemnation of the “illegal” referendums held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and for all states to not recognise any changes to Ukraine’s borders.
The resolution also called on Russia to withdraw troops immediately from Ukraine, ending an invasion that was launched on February 24.
