JAKARTA - The United Nations General Assembly on Monday called on Russia to be held accountable for its behavior in Ukraine, in a vote for a resolution urging Moscow to pay compensation to Kyiv.
The resolution, supported by 94 of the 193 assembly members, said Russia, which invaded its neighbors in February, "must bear the legal consequences of all international wrong actions, including making repairs to injuries, as well as any damage caused by these actions."
Fourteen countries voted against the resolution, including Russia, China, and Iran. Meanwhile, the other 73 abstain, including Brazil, India, and South Africa. Not all member countries vote.
The resolution recommends that member states cooperate with Ukraine, create an international list to record evidence and claims against Russia.
It is known that the General Assembly's Resolution is not binding, but has political weight.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the resolution "important".
"The recovery that Russia has paid for what it has done is now part of the reality of international law," President Zelensky said in his evening video speech.
"From the victory of the release in Kherson to the diplomatic victory in New York, the UN General Assembly has just given the green light for the formation of a compensation mechanism for Russia's crimes in Ukraine. Aggressor will pay for what he did!," he wrote separately on Twitter.
From the liberation victory in Kherson to the diplomatic victory in New York - the 🇺🇳 General Assembly has just given the green light to the creation of a compensation mechanism for Russian crimes in Ukraine. The aggressor will pay for what he did!
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 14, 2022
UN Ambassador Kyiv Sergiy Kyslytsya told the General Assembly prior to the vote Russia had targeted everything from factories to residential buildings and hospitals.
"Ukraine will have a tough duty to rebuild its country and recover from this war, but that recovery will never be complete without a sense of justice for the victims of the Russian war. This is the time to hold Russia accountable," Kyslytsya said.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told the General Assembly before the vote, the terms of the resolution were "legally null and void", with him urging countries to vote against him.
"The West is trying to withdraw and exacerbate the conflict and plans to use Russian money for that," Nebenzia criticized.
Teprisah, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said on the Telegram messaging app that "Anglo-Saxon is clearly seeking to gather legal grounds for illegally confiscation of Russian assets."
Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilians, although the invasion has left Ukrainian cities debris, killing or injuring thousands of people.
"A broad international effort is needed to support the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine to build a safe and prosperous future for the Ukrainian people," said British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward to the assembly.
"But only one country, Russia, is responsible for the damage in Ukraine, and it is true, as this resolution sets out, that Russia is paying for the damage," he said.
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