Russia vetoes UNSC resolution on Ukraine annexations; China, India abstain

Russia has vetoed a Western bid at the UN Security Council to condemn its annexations of Ukrainian territory, with China, Brazil, Gabon and India abstaining from voting.

Russia's veto on Friday was a certainty but Western powers hoped to show Moscow's isolation in its war and will take the condemnation effort to the General Assembly, where every nation has a vote.

The United States pushed through a resolution hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow had taken over four areas of Ukraine which held referendums after the land was seized by Russia's military.

"This is exactly what the Security Council was made to do. Defend sovereignty, protect territorial integrity, promote peace and security," the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said at the start of the meeting.

"The United Nations was built on an idea that never again would one country be allowed to take another's territory by force," she said.

Russia's ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, complained that it was unprecedented to seek condemnation of one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.

"Do you seriously expect Russia to consider and support such a draft? And if not, then it turns out that you are intentionally pushing us to use the right of the veto in order to then wax lyrical about Russia abusing this right," Nebenzia said.

The resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Albania, would have condemned the "illegal" referendums held in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and called on all states not to recognise any changes to Ukraine's borders.

It also would have called on Russia to withdraw troops immediately from Ukraine, ending Russian aggression launched on February 24.

READ MORE: Erdogan to Putin: Give talks another chance to end Ukraine conflict

China urges 'restraint'

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be safeguarded," said China's ambassador, Zhang Jun.

"China calls on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, refrain from actions that actually exacerbate tensions and leave space for a solution through diplomatic negotiations."

Among the notable affirmative votes were Mexico, which has put forward a peace proposal, and the United Arab Emirates, which had hesitated on US-led sanctions on Russia.

Britain's envoy Barbara Woodward said the Security Council vote showed that Putin's annexation is a "fantasy" that holds "no legal effect."

"This is the largest forcible annexation of territory since the Second World War. There is no middle ground on this."

READ MORE: Putin completes annexation of four Ukrainian regions