UN rejects Russia’s call that vote on Ukraine ‘annexation’ should be secret ballot

UK's ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodstock, said Russia's President Vladimir Putin was overturning the "most sacred principle" in the international system and urged other member states to support the sovereignty of Ukraine with their vote.

“This assembly’s call on Russia since the start of its illegal invasion has been simple. End this war and withdraw from Ukraine," she said.

The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favour, that it would hold a public vote – and not a secret ballot – on a draft resolution that would condemn Russia's “illegal so-called referenda” and the “attempted illegal annexation”. Diplomats said the vote on the resolution would likely be on Wednesday.

Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, while another 39 countries abstained and the others did not vote. Russia had argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly".

Moscow has moved to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes as illegal and coercive.

The draft resolution to be voted on later this week calls on states not to recognise Russia's move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last month. It has been trying to chip away at its international isolation after nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly reprimanded Moscow and demanded it withdraws its troops within a week of its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The moves at the United Nations mirror what happened in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea. At the Security Council, Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognise it.

The General Assembly then adopted a resolution declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favour, 11 against and 58 formal abstentions, while two dozen countries didn't take part.

Reuters