Thailand joins 140 other UN members to vote for peace in Ukraine
The United Nations General Assembly saw Thailand and 140 other members vote for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine, hours before battle entered its second year.
The resolution, however, was opposed by seven nations, namely Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.
Meanwhile, 32 nations abstained, including China, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam and Laos.
The 141 nations backing an immediate end to war had previously backed the UN General Assembly’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Though the vote on Thursday is not legally binding, it holds a lot of political significance. The resolution calls on all parties in the dispute to find strategies to achieve peace. It said Russia must “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory” and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Though the resolution made no specific mention of how peace can be achieved, it called on members and international organisations to redouble their efforts to take action against war crimes.
The resolution also reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, extending to its territorial waters.
It also emphasised the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Ukraine through independent investigations and prosecutions to ensure justice for all victims and prevent future crimes.
