The UN General Assembly approved the draft resolution proposed by Ukraine under the title “Problem of the Militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine), as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov”.
The resolution, directed against Russia, saw 66 states voting in favour, with 19 countries against it and 72 states abstaining.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russia noted its regret over the adoption of Ukraine’s resolution on the “militarization” of Crimea and Sevastopol. “We deeply regret this,” Peskov told the journalists.
He recalled that the peninsula had reunited with Russia during a referendum “which was held in strict accordance with the laws in force in Ukraine at the time”.
“In this regard, we can only express our disapproval of this position and our regret. We will certainly continue to explain our position consistently and educate our counterparts about it,” the spokesman for the Kremlin continued.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, Pyotr Ilyichov, emphasized that the adoption of the Crimean resolution showed, above all, that a narrow-minded campaign against Russia was still ongoing. “It is obvious that Ukrainians do not have the majority, they are trying to transfer everything to new levels, they realize that they will not make any real changes. This is simply an additional means of putting pressure on us.”
The adopted resolution reveals, among other things, the concern that “carrying out numerous military exercises of the Russian forces in the Crimea can undermine regional security and have long-term negative environmental consequences”. In addition, Russia is condemned in the UN resolution for the construction of the Crimean bridge.