UN DRAFT RESOLUTION A/73/L.47 (17.12.2018)

On 17, December 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a Ukraine-initiated resolution entitled "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 was previously introduced by a group of 40 states headed by Ukraine.

A total of 66 states supported the document, 19 voted against it, and 72 abstained.

The resolution pointed to security threats that Russia creates to Ukraine, the Black Sea region and the whole of Europe by the transfer of troops and weapons to Crimea, in particular, aircraft and missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. For the first time, there was a direct call for Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from Crimea and end its temporary occupation of Ukraine's territory without delay. For the first time, the UN resolution mentions that by occupying Crimea, Russia violated the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.

In addition, the resolution expressed support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, non-recognition of annexation of Crimea, grave concern about the progressive militarization of the peninsula and adjacent marine areas, the deployment of planes and missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, specifically mentioning an attack on Ukrainian ships in late November as an illustration of Russia's aggressive actions. The resolution also called on Russia not to impede freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, to stop the harassment of commercial vessels, and condemns the illegal construction of the Kerch Strait Bridge.

Voted Against the Resolution

1. Armenia
2. Belarus
3. Bolivia
4. Burundi
5. Cambodia
6. Cuba
7. Dem PR of Korea
8. Iran
9. Lao PDR
10. Myanmar
11. Nicaragua
12. Russian Federation
13. Serbia
14. South Sudan
15. Sudan
16. Syria
17. Uzbekistan
18. Venezuela
19. Zimbabwe

Abstained

1. Algeria
2. Angola
3. Argentina
4. Bahrein
5. Bangladesh
6. Barbados
7. Benin
8. Bhutan
9. Brazil
10. Bruneo-Darussalam
11. Cameroon
12. Chile
13. China
14. Colombia
15. Comoros
16. Côte d’Ivoire
17. Dominican Republic
18. Ecuador
19. Egypt
20. El Salvador
21. Equatorial Guinea
22. Eritrea
23. eSwatini
24. Ethiopia
25. Fiji
26. Guinea
27. Honduras
28. India
29. Indonesia
30. Iraq
31. Jamaica
32. Jordan
33. Kazakhstan
34. Kenya
35. Kuwait
36. Kyrgyzstan
37. Malawi
38. Malaysia
39. Mali
40. Mexico
41. Mongolia
42. Mozambique
43. Namibia
44. Nauru
45. Nepal
46. Nigeria
47. Oman
48. Pakistan
49. Palau
50. Papua New Guinea
51. Paraguay
52. Peru
53. Philippines
54. Qatar
55. Rep of Korea
56. Rwanda
57. Saint Lucia
58. Saint Vincent Grenadines
59. Saudi Arabia
60. Senegal
61. Seychelles
62. South Africa
63. Sri Lanka
64. Thailand
65. Togo
66. Trinidad & Tobago
67. Uganda
68. United Arab Emirates
69. United Republic of Tanzania
70. Uruguay
71. Vietnam
72. Yemen.