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- Possible action could include the use of armed force, but this has never happened in the history of the UN
- Russia voted against the resolution, but under UN regulations it did not have veto power to derail the referral of the war to the General Assembly
NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Sunday voted on a draft resolution deciding to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly to recommend collective action on the situation in Ukraine, two days after a similar resolution, sponsored by 81 nations, was shot down at the council on Friday by the Russian veto.
Possible action could include the use of armed force, but this has never happened in the history of the UN.
This is the first time in 40 years that a decision to hold an emergency special session of the 193-member GA has been made, and only the 11th time since the UN鈥檚 inception.
The draft resolution was tabled by the US and Albania, the two co-penholders on Ukraine. It is a so-called 鈥淯niting for Peace鈥� resolution, which allows a deadlocked council to refer the situation in question to the General Assembly.
Albania's Ambassador Ferit Hoxha addresses the UN Security Council meeting in New York City on Feb. 27, 2022. (Andrea Renault/AFP)
The vote would require a two-thirds majority of UN member states and the affirmative vote of only nine security council members. Such GA resolutions have then historically been adopted despite a negative vote by a permanent member.
The resolution argues that the lack of unanimity among the Security Council鈥檚 permanent members on the Ukraine crisis has prevented the UN鈥檚 most important body from exercising its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
A total of 11 council members voted in favor, with China, UAE and India abstaining. Russia vetoed it.
Sunday鈥檚 vote took place amid a large-scale attack by Russian military forces on major cities in Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, with hundreds of deaths and injuries reported.
This morning there were reports that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to hold direct talks on the border of Belarus.
The UAE鈥檚 deputy permanent representative to the UN, Mohamed Abushahab, welcomed such an announcement, and reiterated his call for a cessation of hostilities and for dialogue as the only way forward.
Abushahab stressed that the protection of civilians in Ukraine should remain a top priority.
鈥淐ivilians trying to reach safety must be able to leave unhindered,鈥� he said, adding that it was of paramount importance for aid to reach those in need.
In her explanation of the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that council members who support the resolution recognize that this is 鈥渘o ordinary moment,鈥� one that calls for 鈥渆xtraordinary actions to meet this threat to our international system and do everything we can to help Ukraine and its people.鈥�
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (R) listens as Britain's Ambassador Barbara Woodward addresses the UN Security Council meeting in New York City on Feb. 27, 2022. (Andrea Renault/AFP)
Thomas-Greenfield told fellow ambassadors: 鈥淭hose of us here, safely sitting in this hallowed hall, have a moral responsibility to respond to Russia鈥檚 desecration of human life.鈥�
She said that the response includes both humanitarian aid for millions of Ukrainians in need and military support, and 鈥渉olding the sole aggressor, Russia, accountable for its actions.鈥� She vowed to 鈥渘ot let atrocities slide.鈥�
Thomas-Greenfield called on council members to be inspired by Ukrainians鈥� courage and to look for Ukrainian people鈥檚 resilience 鈥渋n the face of Russian guns and soldiers and bombs and rockets.鈥�
She also welcomed the Ukrainians鈥� 鈥渃ourage to sit down and talk (and) their continued willingness to participate in peace talks.鈥�
Russia鈥檚 Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told the council that Western attempts to disregard his country鈥檚 security concerns regarding NATO鈥檚 expansion are against the UN Charter.
He said the current crisis broke out not as a result of the launch of military operations in Ukraine but eight years ago when 鈥測ou turned a blind eye to Ukrainian nationalists鈥欌€� activities in the Eastern Donbas region.
鈥淩ussia does not shell civilians or civilian infrastructure. The threat to civilians is posed by Ukrainian nationalists,鈥� Nebenzia added, accusing so-called 鈥渘ationalists鈥� of following the same tactics as Daesh, using civilians as human shields, and releasing criminals from jail and providing them with weapons.
Ukraine鈥檚 UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said it was extremely alarming that Russian President Vladimir Putin 鈥渉as resorted today to open nuclear blackmail,鈥� and urged the world to take Putin鈥檚 threat 鈥渧ery seriously.鈥�
Ukraine's Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya addresses the UN Security Council meeting on Feb. 27, 2022. (Andrea Renault/AFP)
Kyslytsya said that Russians so far had lost 4,300 personnel with more than 200 taken as prisoners of war.
He added his government has created a hotline 鈥� 鈥淐ome Back Alive from Ukraine鈥� 鈥� for relatives of Russian soldiers who are not aware of their whereabouts. He accused Russia of not admitting these losses.
India鈥檚 Permanent Representative T. S. Tirumurti reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence. 鈥淭here is no other choice but to return to dialogue,鈥� he said as he called for respecting territorial integrity of 鈥渁ll states.鈥�
China鈥檚 UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said that the top priority now is for 鈥渁ll parties to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting worse.鈥�
China's Ambassador Zhang Jun speaks as the UN Security Council meeting in New York on Feb. 27, 2022. (REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)
Zhang welcomed the announcement of possible talks between Russia and Ukraine on the Belarus border, and also expressed China鈥檚 support for 鈥渆qual-footed dialogue between the EU and Russia.鈥�
Monday's session is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in New York (1500 GMT) and is expected to last at least all day.
On Monday, the Security Council is scheduled to hold at 5 p.m. an emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
It was requested by French President Emmanuel Macron and will feature officials from the UN's humanitarian affairs and refugee agencies, according to diplomats.