Russia cancels UN vote on 'humanitarian' resolution as allies fail to support it

UNITED NATIONS • Russia cancelled a UN Security Council vote on a "humanitarian" resolution on Ukraine, scheduled for yesterday, due to a lack of support from its closest allies, diplomats said.

Moscow failed to secure co-sponsorship of the draft text from China and India, suggesting that neither Beijing nor New Delhi was going to support it, an ambassador told AFP on Thursday.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Mr Vassily Nebenzia, later confirmed during a council meeting on Ukraine that the vote would not happen. The resolution never had a chance of adoption because it would have been vetoed by Western powers.

Russia, however, had hoped that some votes in favour would have shown it still has some support on the world stage following its all-out assault on Ukraine.

Moscow had already twice postponed the vote on the controversial resolution, which condemned attacks on civilians and called for their safe passage.

Russia filed the draft resolution on Tuesday on the "deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine" and requested a vote for the following day.

It then changed its mind and asked for the vote to be moved to Thursday, before opting for yesterday.

"This week, perversely, Russia tabled a resolution that, among other things, called for the protection of civilians, including women and children," said British ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward.

"This is cynical game-playing in the face of extreme human suffering," she added.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE