Saudi Arabia condemns Russia’s annexation moves inside Ukraine

Saudi Arabia’s representative to the UN has condemned Russia’s annexation of four regions inside Ukraine, calling on all countries to abstain from using force.

On Thursday, Riyadh, along with 142 other member states, voted in favor of a UN resolution that called out Russia’s annexation moves.

Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea, Belarus and Russia voted against the resolution, while another 35 countries abstained from voting.

Abdulaziz Alwasil, the Saudi representative to the UN, said the vote cast by the Kingdom was in line with its position of “upholding the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.”

“All countries must abstain from the use of force,” he added.

A statement from the Saudi government said the Kingdom had “clearly and repeatedly” expressed its position to uphold international law, the UN Charter, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, “including Ukraine.”

The statement cited Saudi Arabia’s March vote in support of UN Resolution ES-11/1, which called for a full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, as well as its mediation efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the Russian invasion.

Saudi Arabia has supported humanitarian relief efforts, providing $10 million worth of aid to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also played a central role in mediation efforts that successfully resulted in the release of 10 prisoners of war (POWs), including two Americans.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia praised the Kingdom on Thursday for voting in favor of a UN resolution that condemned the purported Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories.