Nigeria joined 140 other countries on Wednesday in calling for Russia’s troops to leave Ukraine immediately.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution that “demands” Russia “immediately” withdraw from Ukraine, in a strong rebuke to Moscow’s invasion by the vast majority of the world’s nations.
Also on Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group announced that they would respond to Ukraine’s request for urgent financing with a total of $5.2 billion.
After more than two days of extraordinary debate at the UN, during which the Ukrainian ambassador accused Russia of genocide, 141 of 193 member states voted in favor of the non-binding resolution. Approximately five countries, however, sided with Russia. Eritrea, North Korea, Syria, Belarus, and Russia are among them.
About 35 countries – mainly African nations – abstained from voting. They include: Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Cuba, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
However, 141 countries including Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Canada, condemned Russia. The resolution deplored the invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest terms” and condemned President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put his nuclear forces on alert.
Nigeria’s stand on Wednesday was a historic departure from its non-aligned movement in the politics between the West and Russia.