UN votes against the invasion of Ukraine as peace movement builds

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 03 Mar 2022 by Alex Teddy

On March 2 the UN General Assembly voted to condemn Russia and demand a withdrawal. This is a non-binding resolution. The countries that voted for Russia were Belarus, Syria, Eritrea, Armenia and North Korea. The good news for Russia was the high number of abstentions.It will be a disappointment for Russia that China abstained. Only weeks ago Russia boasted of its alliance with China being a partnership without limits.In Russia 7,000 people have been arrested for anti-war demonstrations. First-time offenders are being fined USD 250, which is a month's salary for many. Second-time offenders face a few days in jail. People who have signed anti-war petitions have been fired. The anti-war movement it is not a significant impediment to the military campaign at the moment but if sanctions wreak havoc on the economy, then middle-of-the-road opinion in Russia may turn against the war. On March 3 the Russian Foreign Minister reminded NATO that a Third World War will be a nuclear war. He was warning NATO countries not to send troops to Ukraine. Some British civilians have volunteered to fight for Ukraine. The UK government has said they have its blessing. However, no NATO country is sending forces. On March 2 Biden used his State of the Union address to denounce Putin as a dictator. He pledged unwavering support for Ukraine.On February 28 UN Security Council Resolution was defeated by the Russian veto. Three countries in the UN Security Council abstained: India, China and the UAE.Russia would like its campaign to succeed swiftly before sanctions bit and opposition builds. Then it can present the world with a fait accompli.

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