21 Dec 2018 21:33

UN General Assembly votes against Russian draft resolution on preserving INF Treaty

NEW YORK. Dec 21 (Interfax) - The United Nations General Assembly did not support draft resolution A/73/L.70 titled "Preservation of and compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty" on Friday.

The draft resolution was supported by 43 delegates, 46 voted against and 78 abstained.

Article 18 of the UN Charter stipulates that, for such a draft resolution to be approved, it had to be supported by at least two thirds of votes.

The draft resolution was submitted to the UN General Assembly by Russia and was aimed at voicing recommendations to the INF Treaty signatories to preserve it.

Speaking before the voting on the draft resolution, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said the INF Treaty "has made a significant contribution to international security and stability" and its dismantlement would have serious consequences.

"Push the green button and support our draft," Polyansky said.

The U.S. said it would vote against the draft resolution. Russia has regularly violated the treaty by developing and testing missiles with a range of over 500 kilometers, which are banned under the treaty, a U.S. representative said.

Before the voting, the U.S. was backed by Poland, which also said Russia violated the INF Treaty, and by Ukraine.

Representatives of Austria, Belarus and China spoke in favor of preserving the INF Treaty. In particular, the Austrian representative said that, while Europe is not a signatory to the INF Treaty, it has benefited from it over the 30 years it has been in effect.