Serbia Votes in U.N. for Instant Withdrawal of Russian Forces from Ukraine

U.N. General Assembly in New York (Photo: Print Screen You Tube)

At a session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Feb. 23, Serbia voted in favor of a resolution demanding an instant withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine and calling for "just and lasting" peace.

The non-binding resolution, adopted ahead of the first anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine, was voted for by 141 U.N. member states, including all the Western Balkan countries. Seven states (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua, Eritrea) voted against the resolution, while 32 countries abstained from voting, including China and India.

The adopted resolution reaffirms "commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and calls for Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine."

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has voted in favor of four U.N. General Assembly resolutions regarding the war, and abstained once.

Serbia supported two resolutions in March 2022, the first condemning the Russian aggression, and the second calling on Russia to immediately stop its war against Ukraine. Last April, Serbia voted for the expulsion of Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council, and in October it voted for a resolution whereby the U.N. General Assembly condemned Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

The only time Serbia abstained from voting was in November, during the vote on a resolution demanding that Russia be called to account for its invasion of Ukraine, with the obligation of paying Kyiv war reparations.

Out of the six U.N. General Assembly resolutions so far, the two that received the least support were the one in April, which expelled Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council (93 votes in favor), and the one in November, on paying war reparations to Kyiv, which was supported by 94 states.