In a unprecedented voteThe General Assembly of the United Nations voted by majority to suspend Russia and remove it from the Human Rights Council for the “serious and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” by the Russian military forces of Ukraine.
The General Assembly approved the measure with 93 votes for, 24 against, and 58 abstentions. It was made possible days after Linda Thomas-Greenfield (US ambassador to the United Nations) expressed her desire to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. Criminal actions during the Ukrainian warParticularly the recent atrocities committed to Bucha.
The approved resolution reflects the “serious concern” about Ukraine’s current humanitarian crisis. This is especially in light of recent reports from Bucha. “It’s important to tell Russia we won’t allow it to continue acting in such impunity and pretending that respect human rights,” Thomas-Greenfield said, explaining Thursday’s announcement from the UN headquarters at New York.
The United States took a coordinated decision with its allies and partners, only hours after it launched new economic sanctions against Russia. Two Russian elites, their families, including the two daughters of Putin. They were among the principal banks, the public sector and foreign investors that retaliated against the Kremlin.
To make the veto effective and to suspend a country from being included in the Council’s decision-making process,Minimum two-thirds of the total amount is required (Not counting abstentions). This is the third resolution that the General Assembly has supported against Russia in less than a month since the start of the war on February 24, 2014. While the previous two were “historic”, they weren’t binding and reached the House with a majority of 140 and 141, respectively.
Libya was previously suspended by Russia in 2011 because of violence against protesters perpetrated by security forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
“War criminals have no place in the UN institutions designed to protect human rights,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister reacted after the vote. Dimitrokuleba said, “We are grateful to all member states who voted in support of the resolution.”
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesky made a virtual appearance before the United Nations and accused Russia of “the most horrible war crimes of all times” and criticised the international body’s inability to end the atrocities. Russians
Zelensky believes Russian troops have changed tactics to deal effectively with the Ukrainian resistance. This is to avoid accusations of abuses to civilians. He said that they are “trying to remove dead bodies from the streets and cellars” of the occupied territory to not leave any trace of the atrocities they committed. .
According to General Mark Milley, the chief of staff for the US, NATO and the US decided to send about 60,000 antitank weapons to Ukraine and another 25,000 antiaircraft weapons to NATO. The equipment we provided has helped the Russian air force not achieve superiority.