Flashpoints  |Diplomacy

How Did Asian Countries Vote on the UN's Ukraine Resolution?

The results make clear the regional differences in attitudes toward Russian federation.

How Did Asian Countries Vote on the UN’s Ukraine Resolution?

Credit: Depositphotos

In a special emergency session on Midweek, the United nations General Associates (UNGA) voted on a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The resolution "[d]eplores in the strongest terms the Russian Federation'south aggression against Ukraine in violation of Article 2, paragraph 4 of the United Nations Lease" and "[d]ecides that the Russian federation shall immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military machine forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders." While the UNGA resolution is not binding, information technology resulted in a clear symbolic defeat for Russia. In the final tally, 141 countries supported the resolution, with but 5 voting against it and another 35 abstaining.

Within the Asia-Pacific region covered by The Diplomat, merely two countries voted confronting the resolution: Russia itself and North Korea. Ten countries abstained: Bangladesh, China, Republic of kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. (Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan did non vote at all.) Meanwhile, 14 Asia-Pacific countries not only voted in favor but co-sponsored the resolution: Commonwealth of australia, Cambodia, Republic of the fiji islands, Japan, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Federated states of micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Republic of guinea, Southward Korea, Samoa, Singapore, and Timor-Leste,

A map of the results makes the regional divisions starkly apparent. Central Asia came down most strongly in Russia'southward camp – unsurprising, given the region's close ties to Moscow. None of the five Central Asian republics voted in favor of the motion; all either abstained or did non participate in the vote at all.

In S Asia, countries were evenly divided, with four supporting the resolution (Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Republic of the maldives, and Nepal) and iv abnegation (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). Transitional islamic state of afghanistan's vote gets an asterisk, however, as the country's U.N. delegation is still made upward of representatives of the onetime Republic of Afghanistan government. The Taliban regime has been more neutral, calling for "both parties" to "exercise restraint," a position more consistent with an abstention.

Islamic republic of pakistan took particular care to emphasize the "indivisible security" principle in its comments on Midweek, which is a nod to Russia'due south position. The support is not a surprise; Prime number Minister Imran Khan was famously in Russia for a land visit the day Moscow sent troops across the border into Ukraine. India, meanwhile, despite close historical ties to the Soviet Union and Russia, sounded somewhat less supportive of the Russian position, with its representative calling for "an firsthand abeyance of violence and an finish to hostilities, noting that all United Nations Member States are not simply obliged to follow the Lease but besides to respect international police force, territorial integrity and State sovereignty."

In Southeast Asia, despite the reluctance of most governments to take a strong stance against Russia'south aggression, in the end most of the region supported the resolution. Cambodia was even a surprise last-minute addition to the co-sponsor list. Of the 10 Asean members, 8 – Brunei, Cambodia, Republic of indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – voted in favor, as did non-ASEAN member Timor-Leste. Vietnam and Laos were the only abstentions. However, Myanmar's vote, like Afghanistan'due south, does non correspond the current government – the state's U.N. seat is still held past Kyaw Moe Tun, who was appointed past the noncombatant government ousted in final twelvemonth's insurrection. "Myanmar condemns the invasion of Ukraine and unprovoked attacks confronting the people of Ukraine," Kyaw Moe Tun said on Wednesday in the UNGA debate. Myanmar'due south junta, even so, has offered firm support for Russian federation'south deportment and would certainly accept voted differently.

Northeast Asia saw a clear split between Russia'southward neighbors – People's republic of china, Mongolia, and Democratic people's republic of korea – which all abstained on the vote and U.South. allies South Korea and Japan, which both co-sponsored the resolution. Due north Korea positioned itself closest to Russia, as evidenced by its "no" vote. Democratic people's republic of korea's U.N. administrator told the General Assembly that "the root cause of the Ukraine crisis lies in the hegemonic policy of the United States and the West," which "indulge themselves in high-handedness and arbitrariness towards other countries."

China's U.N. Administrator Zhang Jun took a more than nuanced position, calling the situation in Ukraine "heart-wrenching" merely as well "highly circuitous and sensitive." Like Pakistan's representative, Zhang made certain to reference the "universal security of all parties," a Russian talking point. "Regretfully the draft resolution… has not undergone full consultations… nor does information technology take into full consideration the history and the complexity of the current crisis… It does not highlight the importance of the principle of indivisible security," Zhang said in explaining Prc's avoidance.

Seoul, by dissimilarity, fabricated a particularly poignant instance for U.Due north. intervention. "My state notwithstanding exists today because the peoples of the United Nations at the fourth dimension stood up immediately to the cries of the innocent lives," South korea's U.N. ambassador told the General Associates on Tuesday. "This is why my delegation does not see the situation in Ukraine as some distant tragedy."

Oceania, meanwhile, gave full-throated support to the resolution, with nearly every Pacific Island state voting in favor. In the contend preceding the vote, Fijian Administrator Satyendra Prasad, speaking on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, called for the "withdrawal of Russian armed forces and an end to the aggression, which violates the [U.Northward.] Charter." Prasad also urged that "…The world needs its diplomats and all its leaders to address climate change and can only do and so one time peace is restored in Ukraine."

In final remarks earlier the vote, Russia's U.Northward. ambassador decried "open and cynical threats" from the West to get other countries to support the resolution. He too emphasized that the resolution would not end the war in Ukraine.

Merely peradventure the virtually convincing caption for the widespread back up for the resolution among small developing countries, including much of the Asia-Pacific, came from the Maldives. "As a small state" the Maldives "has always taken a principled stand on violations of the territorial integrity of a sovereign country," Thilmeeza Hussain, the Maldives' U.Northward. ambassador said on Monday. "…[T]his position is based on a bedrock belief in the equality of all States and unconditional respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter…

"We know nosotros do non possess powerful weapons of destruction; instead we rely on our principles and the solidarity of nations."