UN Resolution Urges Russia To Withdraw From Crimea

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling on Russia to end its occupation of Crimea and to withdraw from Ukraine.

“It urges the Russian Federation, as the occupying Power, to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces from Crimea and end its temporary occupation of the territory of Ukraine without delay,” the UN said in a statement on the nonbinding resolution.

The representative of Ukraine who introduced the related text said that by occupying Crimea, Russia is violating international law, and threatening “peace and security well beyond the Black Sea region.”

In the meantime, the Russian side called the text “politicized” and added that Crimean people had decided their future via a referendum.

Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum.

Turkey as well as the UN General Assembly viewed the annexation as illegal.

Ukraine has also blamed Russia for separatist violence in eastern Ukraine near the border with Russia.

The resolution on the militarization of the peninsula of Crimea, the port of Sevastopol and parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov was adopted by 63 countries, with 17 voting against and 62 abstaining.

The resolution is non-binding but has political significance. It was put forward by 40 countries, including Britain, France, Germany and the Baltic states, as well the United States, Australia, Canada and Turkey.