Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Friday that would have demanded Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops, a move several Council members said was deplorable, but inevitable.
Although Russia, a permanent member of the Council, refused to support the draft resolution, 11 of the 15-member UN body voted in favour while India, China and the United Arab Emirates abstained from the vote.
Speaking to journalists after the session, Secretary-General António Guterres, stressed that “we must never give up”.
“We must give peace another chance. Soldiers need to return to their barracks. Leaders need to turn to the path of dialogue and peace,” he said.
And despite growing operational challenges, he assured that the UN is scaling up the delivery of life-saving support on both sides of the line of contact.
Against the backdrop of multiplying humanitarian needs, dying civilians and at least 100,000 Ukrainians reportedly fleeing their homes – with many crossing into neighbouring countries, underlining the regional nature of this growing crisis, Guterres announced the appointment of Amin Awad as UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine.
A close colleague of Guterres when he was chief of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, Awad will lead the coordination of all UN efforts, including its humanitarian response, on both sides of the contact line.
“All concerned in this conflict must respect international humanitarian law and guarantee the safety and freedom of movement of UN staff and other humanitarians.
“They must guarantee safety of UN staff and humanitarians, especially in a moment like this, it is important to remember that the UN…is tens of thousands of women and men around the world,” he said.
The top UN official described the work of the organisation, from feeding the hungry, vaccinating children and promoting development to protecting civilians in peacekeeping operations, mediating conflicts and supporting refugees and migrants, all while “standing, delivering, extending a lifeline of hope’’.
He reminded that although the Charter has been challenged in the past, it has “stood firm on the side of peace, security, development, justice, international law and human rights”.
“Time after time, when the international community has rallied together in solidarity, those values have prevailed. They will prevail, independently of what happened today,” the UN chief said.
“We must do everything in our power so that they prevail in Ukraine but they prevail for all humanity,” concluded the Secretary-General.
Introducing the draft resolution, which her country had helped craft, U.S. Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, painted a picture of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that was “so bold, so brazen,” that it threatens the international system “as we know it”.
We have a solemn responsibility not to look away, she said, stressing that Russia must be held accountable and its forces immediately, completely and unconditionally withdrawn.
“Today we are taking a principled stand in this Council,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said. “There is no middle ground,” responsible States do not invade their neighbours.
Indian Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti, who abstained, maintained that “dialogue is the only path forward,” no matter how daunting it might seem and urged the Council to restore the difficult path forward.
Also abstaining, UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said that now that the resolution has been vetoed, the United Arab Emirates seeks “inclusive and consultative processes” for a path forward.
Meanwhile, as the only Permanent Council member to abstain, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun warned against actions that might “shut the door” to a negotiated settlement.
He reminded that the Ukraine crisis did not occur “overnight” and that the security of one State cannot come at the expense of that of others.
“Ukraine should become a bridge between East and West, not an outpost,” he said, adding that that cold war mentalities must be abandoned to build balanced European mechanisms and all parties should return to diplomacy.
