Some 143 UN states voted in favour of an EU-drafted resolution condemning Russia’s “attempted illegal annexations” of eastern Ukraine in New York Wednesday, with five against, and 35 abstentions. Belarus, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Syria joined Russia in opposing the text. China, India, Pakistan, and South Africa abstained. “The world has sent a clear message … Russia cannot erase a sovereign state from the map,” US president Joe Biden said.
