China for first time votes for UN resolution, calling Russia an aggressor
Фото: Getty Images
China previously abstained or voted against resolutions regarding Russian aggression.
Now the country backs the UN vote, stating "unprecedented challenges facing Europe today following the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine."
UN's Permanent representative for Ukraine Serhii Kyslytsia said 122 countries supported the resolution on cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe.
ГенАсамблея 122 голосами «за» і 5 голосами «проти» ухвалила резолюцію про співпрацю ООН та Ради Європи @coe . Спроба рф зняти згадку про агресію щодо України провалилася в ГА. Проти резолюції проголосували 5 відомих борців з правами людини – рф, Білорусь, Нікарагуа, Сирія, КНДР https://t.co/BuKoYyP4hT pic.twitter.com/raXtZBHBoL
— Sergiy Kyslytsya (@SergiyKyslytsya) April 26, 2023
"The General Assembly with 122 votes "for" and 5 votes "against" adopted the resolution on the cooperation of the UN and the Council of Europe. The Russian Federation's attempt to remove the mention of aggression against Ukraine failed in the GA. 5 well-known human rights activists voted against the resolution – Russian Federation, Belarus, Nicaragua, Syria, North Korea", he said on Twitter.
In addition to China, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Armenia, and India also adopted the document.
North Korea, Syria, Nicaragua, Belarus and Russia spoke against it.
Photo: Twitter/
Sergiy Kyslytsya
18 countries abstained from voting.
The resolution contains a clause that talks about "unprecedented challenges facing Europe today after the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and before that against Georgia."
There is also a call to "compensate the damages caused to the victims and bring to justice all those who are guilty of violating the norms of international law."
What happened before?
On April 26, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke to Zelensky by phone for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war. The conversation was initiated by the Ukrainian side.
It was preceded by repeated calls from Ukraine for a personal conversation between the heads of state.
There was a scandal with the Chinese mediator of the "conflict." He questioned the sovereignty of the countries of the former USSR and Crimea, belonging to Ukraine.
In the conversation, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine must restore sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991, including the currently occupied Crimea.
After talks with the Chinese leader, Zelenskyy appointed a new ambassador of Ukraine to the People's Republic of China. The former minister for strategic industries Pavlo Riabikin was appointed.
China has appointed a new representative in Ukraine and "adjacent states." It was Li Huei, the special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian issues and the country's former ambassador to Russia.
