Russia thwarts draft UN resolution condemning it after annexing 4 Ukrainian provinces

The UN Security Council on Friday failed to adopt a resolution condemning Moscow's holding of referendums in Ukraine after Russia's veto, while China abstained from the vote.

Ten member states supported the draft resolution prepared by the United States and Albania, while four countries abstained: China, India, Brazil and Gabon.

According to observers, the West seeks to put pressure on Russia by presenting the draft resolution to a vote in the General Assembly, which includes all member states of the United Nations.

Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the Ukrainian regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson have become Russian.

"It is precisely for this mission that the Security Council was established, to defend sovereignty, protect territorial integrity and promote peace and security," said the US delegate to the Security Council, Linda Thomas Greenfield.

She added in her speech at the beginning of the meeting that "the United Nations was built on the idea that it would never allow a country to seize the territory of another country by force."

Unprecedented

On the other hand, the Russian delegate to the Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia, considered that seeking to convict a permanent member of the Security Council is unprecedented.

"Do you seriously expect Russia to consider and support such a project? If not, it turns out that you are intentionally pushing us to use the veto, only to later say that Russia is abusing this right," he asked.

"The Kyiv regime is one of the most remote parts of Ukraine and its right to self-determination must be respected," he added.

The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, had confirmed earlier Friday that his country would seek to submit the project to a vote in the General Assembly.

"If Russia prevents the Security Council from carrying out its responsibilities, we will ask the United Nations General Assembly, where every country has a vote, to make it clear that it is unacceptable to redraw borders by force," Blinken told reporters in Washington.