the times | Friday April 8 2022 2GM 11News
The United Nations general assembly
has voted to suspend Russia from the
human rights council after images of
atrocities apparently showing civilians
left dead in the streets with their hands
bound emerged following Russian
troops’ withdrawal from around Kyiv.
The call for Russia’s removal from the
UN’s top human rights body was led by
the United States, which concluded
that Russian forces had committed war
crimes. In a vote yesterday it gained the
support of 93 countries.
They were urged on by Sergiy Kys-
lytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador, who told
diplomats that “pressing ‘no’ means
pulling the trigger, and means a red dot
on the [voting] screen, red as the blood
of the innocent lives lost”.
Russia had said it would consider a
yes vote an unfriendly act that would
affect its bilateral relations with those
countries. Twenty-three nations lined
up beside it against the resolution,
including North Korea, Syria, Cuba and
Belarus. Notable abstentions included
Brazil, India, Pakistan and nearly all
of the Middle East. China, Russia’s fre-
quent partner on the UN security
council, said it was voting no because
the resolution set “a dangerous prece-
dent” and could stymie peace talks.
There were 58 abstentions.
Afterwards a Russian representative
claimed the resolution was “an illegiti-
mate and politically motivated step
with the aim of demonstrably punish-
ing the sovereign nation of the UN con-
ducting an independent domestic and
foreign policy”. He then declared that
Russia had already decided to withdraw
from the council because it feared that
it was being “monopolised by a group of
states who use it for their short-term
aims”.
He added: “The sincere commitment
of Russia to promoting and protecting
human rights does not make it possible
to remain a member of an international
mechanism which has become an
enabler of the above-mentioned
countries.”
President Biden said he applauded
the “overwhelming vote”. He added:
“The images we are seeing as Russiantroops withdraw are horrifying. The
signs of people being raped, tortured,
executed — in some cases having their
bodies desecrated — are an outrage to
our common humanity. Russia’s lies are
no match for the undeniable evidence
of what is happening in Ukraine... we
will continue to work with responsible
nations around the world to gather
evidence to hold Russia accountable
for the atrocities being committed,
increase the pressure on Russia’s
economy, and isolate Russia on the
international stage.”
Russia was one of 15 countries
elected to the council in 2020, with Brit-
ain, China and France. The US had left
in 2018 during the Trump presidency
but rejoined last year after the election
of President Biden.
On Monday after images emerged
from Bucha and Irpin, northwest of
Kyiv, of bodies partially buried in mass
graves and lying face down in base-
ments, the US said that Russia’s mem-
bership of the council was “a farce”.Boris Johnson will today press the
German chancellor to turn off the taps
to Russian oil and gas as he announces
plans to provide Ukraine with more
lethal military weapons.
The prime minister is said to believe
that the European Union’s position is
becoming “embarrassing” after it
emerged that it has paid €35 billion to
Russia for energy since the invasion of
Ukraine.
Johnson will host Olaf Scholz in
Downing Street, where he is expected
to announce that more than £1 billion
has been raised from a donor confer-
ence hosted by the UK a fortnight ago.
The two leaders are expected to com-
mit their governments to providing
Ukraine with more anti-tank weapons.
The Times has been told that Johnson
will urge the German chancellor to im-
pose a “fossil-fuel embargo” on Russia
by limiting imports of oil and gas. The
UK has promised to ban imports of
Russian coal and oil by the end of the
year but has not made a similar com-PM pushes Germany on oil and gas
Steven Swinford Political Editor Ukraine urgently needed more weap-
ons. He said he was “certain that we will
address the need” for more air defence
systems and anti-tank missiles, as well
as “heavier weapons”.
Johnson said President Putin’s forces
had engaged in a “systematic slaughter
of innocent people” in Ukraine and that
the world was overwhelmingly on the
side of Kyiv.
The latest Ministry of Defence intel-
ligence assessment confirmed Russia
was now focused on the Donbas region,
where Ukraine has fought a Kremlin-
backed separatist movement since- “Russian artillery and airstrikes
continue along the Donbas line of con-
trol,” the MoD said. “Russian strikes
against infrastructure targets within
the Ukrainian interior are likely intend-
ed to degrade the ability of the Ukraini-
an military to resupply and increase
pressure on the Ukrainian government.
“Despite refocusing forces and logis-
tics capabilities to support operations in
the Donbas, Russian forces are likely to
continue facing morale issues and
shortages of supplies and personnel.”
mitment on gas. Johnson also said
yesterday that the UK was “certainly
looking at what more military assist-
ance we can give” Ukraine.
The Czech Republic is reported to
have sent Soviet-era tanks and person-
nel carriers to Ukraine. The UK is also
planning to supply armoured vehicles
to help the country resist Russian
forces, The Times reported this week,
with a protected patrol vehicle, such as
the Mastiff, or a the Jackal, which can be
used as a reconnaissance or long-range
patrol vehicle, under consideration.
Volodymyr Havrylov, Ukraine’s dep-
uty defence minister, visited the UK
this week with senior military officers
to examine the equipment that might
be available to them, including protect-
ed patrol vehicles. James Heappey, the
armed forces minister, said: “It was an
honour to show Minister Havrylov and
his generals the kit the UK hopes to
provide next and to discuss some new
weapons that have been trialled recent-
ly with UK forces.”
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary-
general, acknowledged yesterday thatNews
UN suspends Russia
from human rights
body over atrocities
Will Pavia New York How they voted
China — against Zhang Jun, its UN
ambassador, walked a narrow line,
saying China “always believes that
sovereignty and territorial integrity
should be respected” but that the
security concerns of all countries
must be taken seriously. He said
images from Bucha “must be
verified”.Brazil — abstained Close trade ties
with Russia, which is a key supplier
of fertiliser for its farms, were
emphasised during a diplomatic
summit days before the invasion.India — abstainedMaintains close
trading ties with Russia, and also
relies on it for munitions.Saudi Arabia — abstained Stands
accused of benefiting from the
Ukraine invasion, which sent oil
prices soaring. Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman has forged
warm relations with President Putin.Residents in
the Donbas have
been told to
evacuate as
attacks intensify.
Below, a Ukrainian
fighter in the
recaptured town
of BuchaFADEL SENNA AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES; IVOR PRICKETT NEW YORK TIMESshabby, say villagers
their anger and revenge against ordin-
ary, unarmed people,” she said.
The villagers watched the Russian
forces retreat. “They looked really
shabby and disorganised,” Vitya said.
“They were asking for fuel for their
tanks, which they didn’t get. They aban-
doned about ten of their tanks and
BMPs [light armoured vehicles] at the
petrol station because they ran out of
fuel. The Ukrainian army took them.”
On the outskirts of the village Rus-
sian shells were falling too. Behind
fortifications of stone blocks, steel gird-
ers and tree trunks, the Ukrainian
fighters said they were confident they
had the Russians on the run.
“They are throwing everything they
have at us,” Ruslan, 37, a career soldier,
said as he pointed to some nearby
craters. “They are not very good at
using their weapons and most of the
shells land in the fields or the village.
“We are making progress and all of us
are hoping that we move towards Kher-
son and can take it soon. We want to be
there to liberate our people.”
A young territorial defence soldier,Mykyta, said he hoped for better equip-
ment: “We wouldn’t just throw the Rus-
sians out of Kherson, we’d kick them
out of Crimea and everywhere else.”
Back in Schevchenkove, sisters Irina
and Alyona, both Russian citizens, de-
scribed how they fled after speaking out
against President Putin. Irina, original-
ly from Krasnodar, said she became
involved in a pro-democracy group in- In 2014 she spoke out against the
Russian invasion and occupation of
Crimea and the Donbas.
A year later the sisters fled to
Ukraine, ending up in Schevchenkove.
“I’m so ashamed of what my country is
doing,” Irina said. “The people here
know I’m Russian but there’s never
been any hostility towards me. I was
astonished and horrified that so many
Russians were overjoyed that Putin had
invaded. They were saying that Crimea
and other areas were now Russian.
“I was asking them, how would they
feel if someone came into their homes
and announced that some of the rooms
now belonged to them and the owner
had to move out?”