The United Nations voted overwhelmingly Thursday to demand Russia immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the war with a call for a “just and lasting” peace.
Ukraine earned strong backing in a non-binding vote that saw 141 of the 193 UN members in support, seven opposed and 32, including China and India abstaining.
How the Philippines voted
The Philippines voted in favor of the resolution.
The rest of the other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, except for Laos and Vietnam, also voted for Russia to leave Ukraine. Laos and Vietnam abstained.
Although Ukraine is 9,000 kilometers away from the Philippines, the war has directly affected the Philippine economy with rising fuel costs and fertilizers. It further contributed exacerbated poverty brought by the pandemic.
On the 1st Anniversary of Russia’s Launch of Special Military Operations in Ukraine, the Philippines continues to call on the Parties to settle the conflict through peaceful and diplomatic means.
The Philippines has pronounced its principled stance on Ukraine and has consistently voted in favor of five earlier UN resolutions on Ukraine reaffirming the country’s support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine and other UN member states. The Philippines also supported the recent UN resolution, which was tabled for voting on 23 February 2023 in New York, underscoring the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza
Last week, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone. Marcos said the Philippines he is committed to helping Zelensky “reach a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“Mr. President, we are with you in your search for peace,” he tweeted about his phone conversation with the Ukrainian president.
The UN resolution
Coming on the eve of the first anniversary of the brutal war, support for Kyiv was little-changed from that of last October when 143 countries voted to condemn Russia’s declared annexation of four Ukraine regions.
“Today, United Nations General Assembly has just spoken very clear,” said European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
“This vote shows that the international community stands with Ukraine.”
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Ukraine to UN: Choose between good and evil
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UN for the vote.
“This resolution is a powerful signal of unflagging global support for Ukraine. A powerful testament to the solidarity of the international community with people of Ukraine in the context of the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale aggression. A powerful manifesttion of global support for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
The vote came after two days of debate during which Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the international community to choose “between good and evil.”
He rejected the idea that Kyiv only enjoyed the support of the West — the European Union, the United States and their key allies.
“The vote defies the argument that the Global South does not stand on Ukraine’s side, because many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor today,” Kuleba said.
“The support is much broader, and it will only continue to be consolidated and to be solidified,” he added.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed gratitude to all those “who stood up for Ukraine on the anniversary of the unprovoked Russian aggression.”
“The world understands whose side the truth is on,” he said.
‘Russia can stop tomorrow’
The resolution reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity,” rejecting any Russian claims to the parts of the country it occupies.
It also demanded “that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” and called “for a cessation of hostilities.”
The vote showed Moscow’s continued isolation on the world stage after 12 months of war.
“Next year, we should not meet here to mark the second anniversary of this senseless war of aggression,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during the debate.
“Russia can and must stop, tomorrow,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
“This war waged by Russia is everybody’s business because it threatens the existence of a state, because it represents a domineering and imperialist plan, and because it denies the existence of borders.”
Russia reaction
Despite its limited backing, Russia has used its veto power to block any binding motions against it in the UN Security Council.
Instead, the UN General Assembly has taken up the issue, displaying solid support for Kyiv in successive votes.
Russia dismissed the resolution, with its UN representative Vasily Nebenzya calling Ukraine “neo-Nazi” and accusing the West of sacrificing the country and the developing world in their desire to beat Russia.
“They are ready to plunge the entire world into the abyss of war” to maintain their own “hegemony,” Nebenzya said.
Russia supporters; China, India abstained
It only earned support from six members: Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, and Eritrea.
The vote showed India and China had not been swayed to outright condemn Moscow’s invasion, even while both have criticized Moscow’s threats to deploy nuclear weapons in the conflict.
Before the vote Dai Bing, China’s deputy representative at the United Nations, took a neutral stance, calling on both sides to cease fighting and enter peace talks.
“We support Russia and Ukraine moving towards each other, resuming direct dialogue as soon as possible,” he said.
But he also gave voice to one of Russia’s justifications for the invasion, that its own security was under threat by Ukraine’s tilt toward Western Europe and NATO.
Any settlement, he said, should give “due regard to … the reasonable security concerns of all countries, thereby properly addressing their legitimate security aspirations.” with reports from Malou Talosig-Bartolome
