by Simon Lewis and Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON, September 30 (Reuters) –
Russia on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution presented by the United States and Albania condemning Moscow’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
China, another permanent member of the Council, abstained.
The resolution called on member states not to recognize these annexations and to call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, described the Russian initiative as a “flagrant violation of international law”.
Ten countries voted in favor of the text. Apart from China, Gabon, India and Brazil abstained.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, the only one to raise his hand to vote against the resolution, argued that people in the regions had opted to join Russia in a referendum, while Kyiv and Westerners denounce sham voting. “There will be no turning back as this draft resolution would try to impose,” he said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he planned to submit the text to the UN General Assembly, which has already overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine. (French version Jean-Stphane Brosse)