Each time the United Nations gathers to debate and vote on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it becomes more obvious that the vast majority of the international community condemns the invasion and wants the conflict to stop. But what is also becoming clear is that the world is hopelessly divided as to how to bring the war to an end.
The latest vote in the UN General Assembly saw a clear condemnation of Russia’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions and a demand for the withdrawal of all occupying forces. The initial draft resolution was sponsored by 43 member states and eventually supported by 143. Apart from Russia, only four other countries voted against the resolution: Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua and Syria.
So it’s clear that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has negligible international support. But where international consensus is crucially insufficient is in relation to how the international community should respond. The key issue appears to be whether – and under what conditions – Moscow and Kyiv should enter into negotiations. This is clearly obvious from the statements made before and after the vote.
