UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution Holding Russia Responsible for War Reparations

[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution holding Russia accountable for reparations for its invasion of Ukraine, AP News reported on the 14th (local time).

On the same day, UN member states approved the resolution at an emergency special session held at the UN Headquarters in New York, with 94 votes in favor and 14 against. The resolution requires Russia to be held responsible for various illegal acts. Countries voting against included Russia, China, and North Korea, while 73 countries abstained. South Korea was listed as a co-sponsor of the resolution, which was led by the United States and the European Union (EU), and also voted in favor at the General Assembly. However, AP noted that this resolution received one of the lowest numbers of affirmative votes among those adopted by the UN General Assembly related to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on February 24.

The resolution centers on establishing an international organization to compile damages suffered by the Ukrainian people and government due to various illegal acts committed by Russia during the invasion, and holding Russia accountable for reparations. Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, the significance lies in the international community’s unified call for Russia’s legal responsibility for the invasion.

The United States and others chose to submit the resolution directly to the General Assembly, where all member states can vote, bypassing the Security Council (UNSC) where Russia exercises veto power. To this end, an emergency special session was convened for the vote, which Russia strongly opposed.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, claimed, “Some countries are abusing the authority of the UN and trying to use the UN as if it were a judiciary.” He also strongly criticized the resolution’s content as “illegal and invalid under international law.”

Serhii Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, stated, “Without justice for the victims of this war, Ukraine’s reconstruction will not be complete,” and insisted, “It is time to hold Russia accountable.”