UN General Assembly Passes Resolution Demanding Russian Troop Withdrawal... Supported by 141 Countries Including South Korea

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] A resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanding an immediate withdrawal was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly. A total of 141 countries, including South Korea, cast overwhelming votes in favor. Although it has no legal binding force, it is expected to exert considerable pressure on Russia.

On the 2nd (local time), the UN held an emergency special session at its headquarters in New York regarding the Ukraine situation and announced that the resolution was passed with 141 votes in favor, 5 against, and 35 abstentions. The countries that voted against were North Korea, Belarus, Eritrea, Russia, and Syria. Countries close to Russia, such as China, India, and Iran, abstained.

The adopted resolution stated, "We condemn Russia's declaration of a 'special military operation' on February 24," and "Territories obtained through the use or threat of force shall not be legally recognized." It also expressed "the strongest condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine" and urged "Russia to immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from Ukrainian territory."

Furthermore, regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent order to strengthen the alert status of nuclear forces, the resolution pointed out, "We condemn Russia's decision to enhance its nuclear posture."

Unlike Security Council resolutions, the resolution adopted that day has no legal binding force. However, given the overwhelming support, Russia cannot help but feel pressured. This is because the UN, in its name, pointed out the illegitimacy of the invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, Western countries including the United States attempted to adopt a Security Council resolution condemning Russia's invasion last month. However, it was blocked by Russia's veto as a permanent member of the Security Council in February. Consequently, an emergency special session was convened to push for a General Assembly resolution. This was the 11th time in UN history that an emergency special session was held since the Korean War in 1950. The resolution, led by the European Union (EU), had nearly 100 co-sponsoring countries, including South Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.