: Russia vetoes Security Council resolution condemning attempted annexation of Ukraine regions #IndiaNEWS #International Russia on Friday vetoed a Security Council resolution which described its attempts

Russia vetoes Security Council resolution condemning attempted annexation of Ukraine regions #IndiaNEWS #International
Russia on Friday vetoed a Security Council resolution which described its attempts to unlawfully annex four regions of Ukraine earlier in the day with a formal ceremony in Moscow, as “a threat to international peace and security�?, demanding that the decision be immediately and unconditionally reversed.

The draft resolution, circulated by the United States and Albania, was supported by ten of the fifteen members of the Council, with Russia voting against it. Four members abstained, Brazil, China, Gabon and India.
The draft described the so-called referendums held by Russia in the four regions of Ukraine which Moscow now regards as sovereign territory – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya – as illegal and an attempt to modify Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.
Withdraw now
It called on all States, international organisations, and agencies not to recognize the Russian annexation declaration, and called on Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces�? from Ukrainian territory.
Due to Russia’s veto, following a new procedure adopted in the UN General Assembly in April, the Assembly must now meet automatically within ten days for the 193-member body to scrutinize and comment on the vote. Any use of the veto by any of the Councils five permanent members triggers a meeting.
On Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the annexation plan as a violation of international law, warning that it marked a “dangerous escalation�? in the seven-month war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
“The Charter is clear�?, said the UN chief. “Any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the UN Charter�?.
Speaking before the vote, United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the referendums were a “sham�?, predetermined in Moscow, “held behind the barrel of Russian guns. �?

UN Photo/Laura Jarriel

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States addresses the UN Security Council meeting on Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

Defending sacred principles: US
“We all have an interest in defending the sacred principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in defending peace in our modern world�?, she told ambassadors.
“All of us understand the implications for our own borders, our own economies and our own countries, if these principles are tossed aside.
“It’s about our collective security, our collective responsibility to maintain international peace and security…This is what this body is here to do�?, she said.