Nigeria joined 106 other member states of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to support Ukraine, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
At an emergency special session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Support for lasting peace in Ukraine.” The motion was passed with 107 votes in favour, 12 against and 51 abstentions, including the United States.
The resolution called for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, exchange of prisoners of war and the return of forcibly transferred civilians, including children. It also reaffirmed commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, said the full-scale invasion by Russian troops had shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, stressing that war must not become the new normal.
“Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another world,” she said, noting that generations had grown up in peace before the invasion changed the situation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the war as a violation of the UN Charter and international law, calling it a stain on the global conscience and a threat to regional and international peace and security.
He warned that the longer the conflict continues, the deadlier it becomes, with civilians bearing the brunt. Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a just and lasting peace, urging the international community to use every diplomatic means available to end the war.
At a Security Council debate, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mariana Betsa, described Russia’s invasion as a war against the rules-based international order. She cited mass strikes on civilians, nuclear risks and the deportation of children as potential war crimes, while insisting that peace must begin with an immediate ceasefire.
Betsa rejected territorial concessions, calling sovereignty a “red line,” and urged stronger sanctions, enhanced air defence and binding security guarantees. She also advocated prisoner exchanges and accountability, warning that if aggression prevails, no country would feel safe.
The Russian Federation’s representative, however, dismissed the meeting as unrelated to maintaining international peace and security, accusing European states of prolonging the conflict while neglecting negotiations. He reiterated Moscow’s preference for diplomacy, insisting that any settlement must address what he described as the root causes of the conflict and reflect what he termed new territorial realities.