UN council defeats Russia humanitarian resolution on Ukraine
United Nations (AP): The UN Security Council on Wednesday overwhelmingly defeated a Russian resolution that acknowledged Ukraine's growing humanitarian needs -- but didn't mention the Russian invasion that caused the escalating crisis which has left millions of Ukrainians in desperate need of food, water and shelter.
To be adopted, Russia needed a minimum of nine yes votes in the 15-member Security Council and no veto by one of the four other permanent members the U.S., Britain, France and China. But Russia got support only from its ally China, with the 13 other council members abstaining, reflecting Moscow's failure to get widespread backing for its war in Ukraine, which marks its one-month anniversary Thursday.
The Russian defeat came on the same day the General Assembly started considering a resolution drafted by Ukraine and two dozen other countries and co-sponsored by nearly 100 nations which clearly states that Russia's aggression is responsible for the growing humanitarian emergency. The assembly was also to consider a rival South African resolution that doesn't mention Russia and is similar to Moscow's defeated council resolution. Action on those resolutions was delayed until Thursday because of the huge number of speakers.
Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the council before the vote that its resolution is not politicized, just like other Security Council humanitarian resolutions, and he categorically rejected a U.S. claim that his country had no right to submit such a resolution.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield countered that Russia was attempting to use this council to provide cover for its brutal actions.
It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created, she said. Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions. ... If they cared, they would stop fighting. Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader, the sole party in Ukraine engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine, and they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability.
Nebenzia took the floor again after the vote saying it exposed all countries for whom politicisation of the humanitarian dossier is more important than helping to get aid to Ukrainians. If diplomats go on to lament the lack of a ceasefire and provisions for evacuations, we will remind you that they were before you, but you refused to vote in favor of them for political reasons, he said.
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun, explaining his country's vote in favor of the Russian resolution, said council members should focus on humanitarian issues, transcend the political differences'' and try to reach consensus and respond to the humanitarian crisis in a positive, pragmatic and constructive manner.
But France's ambassador, Nicolas De Riviere, called the resolution a maneuver from Moscow to justify its aggression against Ukraine. Albanian envoy Ferit Hoxha called it a mountain of hypocrisy, and Mexican Ambassador Juan Ramon De La Fuente said the Russian draft didn't respond to the reality on the ground or to the pressing needs of the civilian population.
Russia introduced its resolution on March 15. A day earlier, France and Mexico decided to move their proposed humanitarian resolution blaming the Russian invasion for the humanitarian crisis out of the Security Council, where it faced a Russian veto. The are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly.
Earlier Wednesday, Russia's Nebenzia, told the assembly that by considering the Ukraine-backed French-Mexican resolution, it was engaging in another political anti-Russian show, set this time in an allegedly humanitarian context.
Thomas-Greenfield sharply criticized Russia, saying, In one month, Russia caused the fastest-growing humanitarian catastrophes in the world.
According to the U.N., about 10 million Ukrainians -- a quarter of its population -- have been forced to flee their homes and are now displaced in the country or among the 3.6 million refugees, she said, and 12 million need aid and 5.6 million children are unable to go to school.
Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsy urged all nations that stand against Russia's war on his country to vote for the U.N. resolution on the humanitarian consequences of its aggression, saying this would send a powerful message aimed at helping people caught in the conflict and ending Moscow's military action.
Nebenzia countered that the emergency special session of the General Assembly is just another political anti-Russian show, set this time in an allegedly humanitarian context. He urged assembly members to vote against the Ukrainian-backed measure and support the South African draft that focuses solely on humanitarian issues with no political assessment.
The Ukrainian and Russian ambassadors were among the first of more than 70 national representatives scheduled to speak before the assembly votes on the rival resolutions on the humanitarian impact of the war. Over 60 got to deliver remarks before the meeting was adjourned until Thursday morning.
Kyslytsya said the Ukraine-backed assembly resolution focuses on the need to alleviate suffering and for immediate cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation.
The intention of the initiators and co-sponsors of the draft resolution is to ensure the words are translated into prompt actions on the ground, he said. It will be critical to prevent the spillover effect for the entire world, which is why the text mentions the conflict's impact on food and energy security, especially for least-developed countries.
Nebenzia warned that adoption of that draft will make a resolution to the situation in Ukraine more difficult. That's because it will likely embolden Ukrainian negotiators and nudge them to maintaining the current unrealistic position, which is not related to the situation on the ground, nor to the need to tackle the root causes of Russia's military action, he said.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they do have clout in reflecting international opinion.
The Ukraine-backed draft reiterates the demand of a March 2 resolution adopted by the assembly that Russia immediately stop its military offensive in Ukraine and withdraw all its troops, and it demands protection for all civilians and infrastructure indispensable to their survival.
The draft deplores the dire humanitarian consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine which it says are on a scale that the international community has not seen in Europe in decades. And it deplores Russia's shelling, airstrikes and besiegement of densely populated cities, particularly the southern city of Mariupol, and demands unhindered access for humanitarian aid.
The South African draft calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities as a first step in ameliorating the deteriorating humanitarian situation and encourages political dialogue, negotiations, mediation and other peaceful means aimed at achieving lasting peace. It makes no mention of Russia's aggression.
Russia's defeated resolution called for protection for civilians in vulnerable situations in Ukraine and safe passage for humanitarian aid and people seeking to leave the country, but it never mentioned the war.
It endorsed the U.N. chief's call for dialogue and negotiations and urged a negotiated cease-fire to rapidly evacuate all civilians. It also stressed the need for the parties concerned to agree on humanitarian pauses to this end, while never identifying the parties concerned.
Russian authorities maintain they did not start the war and have repeatedly and falsely decried reports of Russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in Ukraine as fake news. State media outlets and government officials insist Russian troops target only military facilities.
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WC medal hasn't come for long time, I want to achieve it in my career: Harmanpreet
New Delhi (PTI): India men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh has two Olympic bronze medals in his cabinet, but rues missing out on World Cup glory, an anomaly that he wants to set right in the next edition of the mega event in 2026.
India have till date won three World Cup medals -- bronze in 1971 (Barcelona), silver in 1973 (Amstelveen, Netherlands) and gold in 1975 (Kuala Lumpur) under Ajitpal Singh's leadership.
Harmanpreet, who won back-to-back Olympic bronze in Tokyo and Paris, the second one under his leadership, however, had won the Junior World Cup in Lucknow in 2016.
"The goal will always be to bag Olympic gold and a World Cup medal. The way we performed in Paris shows that we can compete with top teams and win," Harmanpreet told PTI.
"Our immediate target is next FIH Pro League matches and then win the Asia Cup and qualify directly for the World Cup. A World Cup medal hasn't come for a long time and I want to fulfil that in my career," said Harmanpreet, one the best defenders and drag-flickers of the world right now.
"...Hope we can relive those golden days during our career. We will not surrender till we achieve that," he added.
The 2026 men's FIH Hockey World Cup will be the 16th edition of the quadrennial tournament scheduled to be held from August 15 to 30 in Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands
From a personal point of view, Harmanpreet wants to better his drag-flick skills and remain fit to prolong his career.
"Drag-flick is getting tough day-by-day and the goal is to work on how to improve myself, bring in more variations and remain fit."
Harmanpreet credits current Indian women's hockey team coach Harendra Singh for shaping his career and believes the women's side drag-flicker and star forward Deepika is in good hands.
"Deepika is doing great. She produced a great performance in the Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir, Bihar. She is a good drag-flicker and a forward who can score. She is in safe hands under Harry (Harendra) sir," he said.
"I will never forget those days and the help Harry sir provided me."
By his own admission, hockey was a coincidence in his life as Harmanpreet never aspired to play the sport.
"Hockey has chosen me as in my family there was no player, neither I had interest in hockey. I had interest in many sports like volleyball, football, athletics, basketball," he said.
"A coach in my school said try hockey and from the day I started hockey, I became a fan of it. I started the sport at 7-8 years."
Harmanpreet was the toast of the revamped Hockey India League auction recently, bagging Rs 78 lakh bid from Soorma Hockey Club of Punjab.
The HIL will be revived this season after seven years. The franchise-based league will be held in both men's and women's categoory this time.
The men's league will begin on December 28 in Rourkela, with matches continuing through two stages until the final showdown on February 1, 2025.
The maiden women's league will start from January 2, 2025 in Ranchi, with their grand finale slated for January 26.
Harmanpreet believes the HIL will be a good learning experience for youngsters and will be a feeder line to the national team.
"The biggest thing is that HIL is starting again. Happy that the highest bid was for me. These things give you motivation. Financially also you need to be strong. These things help in personal life," he said.
"The HIL is a good opportunity for youngsters to learn. In my career HIL helped me a lot and definitely it is a chance to play against top players of the world.
"They (youngsters) will get to know what is their thinking, their understanding. HIL is going to benefit Indian hockey in future.
"We can get a lot of players from here who can represent India in future. This is the best opportunity before them," he noted.
But Harmanpreet said the hefty price tag will not add any pressure on him during the HIL.
"There is no pressure because till the last day of my career every match will be tough, I will take it as a responsibility.
"The scenario will be the same in HIL as well, I will try to live up to the responsibility given to me," he said.
