UN votes overwhelmingly to demand Russia withdraw from Ukraine

The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to demand Russia immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine, marking the one-year anniversary of the war with a call for a “just and lasting” peace.

Ukraine earned strong backing in a non-binding vote that saw 141 of the 193 UN members in support, seven opposed and 32, including China and India abstaining.

Coming on the eve of the first anniversary of the brutal war, support for Kyiv was little-changed from that of last October when 143 countries voted to condemn Russia’s declared annexation of four Ukraine regions.

The vote came after two days of debate during which Kyiv urged the international community to choose “between good and evil”.

The resolution reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity”, rejecting any Russian claims to the parts of the country it occupies.

It also demanded “that the Russian Federation immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders” and called “for a cessation of hostilities”.

The vote showed Moscow’s continued isolation on the world stage after 12 months of war.