Moscow blocked the US resolution in the UN Security Council against the Russian annexation
Russia used a veto in the United Nations Security Council last night to prevent the adoption of the American resolution condemning the Russian annexation of four Ukrainian regions and the referenda on the basis of which the annexation was carried out.
The UN Security Council has 15 members, five of which are permanent and have the right to veto. As CNN reported, China, Brazil and India abstained, while Russia, a permanent member, vetoed it.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield said at the beginning of the session that the US resolution is "exactly what the Security Council was created for - to protect sovereignty, defend territorial integrity and promote peace and security".
As the BBC reports, the resolution condemns Russia for "organizing illegal so-called referendums (on territories) within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine", and the referendums were declared "invalid".
The resolution also called on Russia to "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday signed the decrees on the basis of which the regions of Zaporozhye, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk were annexed to the Russian Federation, a move that was judged by a large part of the international community to be contrary to international law and an escalation of the conflict.