United Nations: Launching a full-fledged war in Ukraine seems to be proving so costly for Russia as it lost elections to three United Nations (UN) bodies over the issue. According to reports, it also shows that opposition to its invasion of Ukraine over a year ago remains strong.
The votes in the 54-member UN Economic and Social Council follow the approval of six non-binding resolutions against Russia by the 193-member UN General Assembly. The latest on Feb 23, the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion, called for Moscow to end hostilities and withdraw its forces and was adopted by a vote of 141-7 with 32 abstentions.
In the ECOSOC election, Russia was overwhelmingly defeated by Romania for a seat on the Commission on the Status of Women. It lost to Estonia to be a member of the executive board of the UN children's agency UNICEF.
Big blow to Russia
It was also defeated by Armenia and the Czech Republic in secret ballot votes for membership in the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after Wednesday's votes, “This is a clear signal from ECOSOC members that no country should hold positions on critical UN bodies when they are in flagrant violation of the UN Charter.”
In the voting for members of 14 commissions, boards and expert groups that ECOSOC oversees, Russia was elected to the Commission for Social Development by acclamation – which the United States and the United Kingdom dissociated their countries from, saying Russia's invasion violates international law and Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia was also elected by acclamation to the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting.
Russia-Ukraine war
It is significant to mention here that Russian President Putin ordered a special military operation on February 24, 2022, in Ukraine's Donbass region which swiftly extended across the country. The war between the two countries was declared after Russia recognised the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered its army to conduct a "peacekeeping operation" in the area.
(With AP inputs)
