via North Korea, Syria, Cuba Back Russia’s Crimea Incursion at UN – NBC News.com by Alexander Smith
Russia has accused the West of using “the Cold War-era propaganda machine” to whip up support for a United Nations resolution condemning the Moscow-backed referendum in Crimea.
Just 11 of the U.N. General Assembly’s 193 members supported Russia by voting “no” to the non-binding resolution on Thursday. These included an assortment of authoritarian regimes and human rights abusers such as North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Cuba.
“This counter-productive initiative with the General Assembly resolution will only serve to complicate efforts to help settle the internal political crisis in Ukraine,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement reported by the state-run Voice of Russia.
The resolution was proposed by Ukraine and did not mention Russia directly by name. Instead it denounced as illegitimate the referendum in Crimea and committed to observe the sovereignty of Ukraine’s borders.
Of the 193 U.N. General Assembly members, 163 were present at the General Assembly in New York. The resolution passed by 100 votes to 11, with 58 abstentions.
The “no” votes came from Russia, the former Soviet states of Armenia and Belarus, as well as North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia.
The Russian foreign ministry statement said the vote was skewed after the West had “shamelessly” exerted “political blackmail and economic threats” to gather support for the resolution.
It added: “They are making the most of the entire unspent potential of the Cold War-era propaganda machine in order to obscure the existence of the deepest internal political crisis in Ukraine and impose responsibility for the escalation of tensions there on the Russian Federation.”
However, Reuters reported Friday that several Western diplomats said Russia’s U.N. envoy led an aggressive lobbying campaign against the resolution.
Reuters contributed to this report.
COMMENTS
There is no moral justification for the Zimbabwe vote, a little inducement will go a long way to guarantee support.
THE DESPERADOEs , band of outlaws and looters.
What a bunch of despots.
A group of failed and rogue states
It just goes to show the shortsightedness of those that rule Zimbabwe. They would of done better to abstain. But no beg the West for aid and then vote against the same countries because of who they are. Why don’t they ask for aid from Russia? What a bunch of clowns. The one leg is trying to move backwards whilst the other tries to move forward with the head facing sideways.
The people of Crimea had. expressed their sovereign rights to be part of Russia and the West, who believe are champions of democracy, are denying these people their rights. The West supported the people of South Sudan to seceed from Sudan. So Sudan was right to vote in favour of Russia. So was Zimbabwe.
Rubbish fool, the opponents to the proposal in the referendum were not allowed to campaign and were threatened with violence. No wonder Zimbabwean idiots like you and Syrians and Sudanese are in favour of it. You wouldn’t know democracy if it bit you in the a**e.
Wanga uriko iwe? Even the European observer teams said people voted freely. U are a liar!
Mucha,russia invaded crimea and held polls whylist people were under intimidation
Does the representative for Zim who voted even know where Crimea is??
These Zanu goons are real clueless on diplomacy and they don’t care about the welfare if their people. Zimbabweans receive aid from the west but the gvt looks east. Stupids
Could this be the same as SA invading Matabeleland and straight away organizing local elections for the province to join SA as a way of protecting the. Ndebele people from Shona extreamists?
Wow. If one agrees to the way the Putin did this it bugles the mind what would come out of. Pandora,s box….
The likes of Mucha and co are just singers in the Zanu choir. They sing the notes they are told to sing weather they are in tune or not. Zimbabwe has no business in getting involved or supporting Russia. They have bigger problems than Ukraine.
Can we expect Bob to try and carve himself a slice of Zambia or Mozambique?
I am not for the Zimbabwean govt & some of its polices. But the west got it all wrong they have double standards.
I have lived in the west for more than half of my life. we say ZBC is full of propaganda so is the BBC, Fox, CNN most of the times in issues like this (unless if domestic issues) they don’t viewers a detailed analysis.
The issue in Ukraine they said the pple spoke in Kiev as they protested and the west was happy to support that but when it comes to Crimea the pple’s choice was not counted why its because the outcome was not to their taste.
The Russians did not invade Crimea ( yes they have their troops stationed their & they have been there for years) even if they did invade (just for argument sake) they were no deaths reported EVEN in the BBC, CNN Propaganda news.
They (the West) invaded Iraq under the pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction (up to now that have never been found)in Afghanistan (the same thing) & hundred thousands of people to this day are being killed.
they have drones killing innocent civilians in Yemen, Pakistan & Afghanistan. they are funding the so called Arab spring ( with the nature of work i do i know it) TODAY if Mugabe sings them praise he will be a hero & liberator but if he speaks against their interest he is a dictator.
Mandela was still on the American terrorist list up to 2008 but on his death he was a source of inspiration to everyone in the world. i believe if Osama Bin Laden was alive & later sang them some praise & kiss their buts they will say the same Oh! he was a hero etc …. double standards
A lot of Zimbabweans sees this(double standards that the west have) but some because of their immigration status chose to turn a blind eye not wanting to shoot their feet (not all though)
they have some good polices though BUT i don’t agree with their double standards & i must confess in this case Zim was good in voting NO. Go on Russia.
That is nothing to do with immigration status. In the first place what is the reason of these people supporting the west. Its because our own country, leaders in particular have failed us. After all the west dont persecute their own people.When it comes to BBC and ZBC they are miles apart.BBC can be biassed but they always report good things about their country where as ZBC reports lies just to protect zanu pf intersets. BBC when it comes to politics they report good and bad things about the opposition where as ZBC never report good things about opposition. Yopu are lying
Wow. Zim grouped with North Korea, Syria and Cuba. That’s how bad it is.
Widza,you are a genius.you have just put it as it is.l,personally,am not a Mugabe fan,one way or the other ,but facts should remain facts.l am not an America fan either cause of the double standard status they have.They supply you with guns and accuse you of murder at the same time.