UN committee adds Ukraine war criticism to Russian anti-Nazism draft

The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee approved a British amendment on 10 November criticising Russia’s use of the fight against neo-Nazism to justify its aggression against Ukraine. It then backed the Russian-sponsored anti-Nazism draft containing the new passage.

According to UN meeting coverage, the amendment expresses alarm that Moscow has sought to justify its territorial aggression on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism. It says using the issue in that way undermines genuine efforts to combat neo-Nazism.

The amendment passed by 64 votes to 44, with 55 abstentions. The amended draft was subsequently approved by 117 votes to 53, with nine abstentions. Russian state news agency TASS reported that Ukraine and the United States were among those voting against the resolution.

The UK representative told the committee that Russia had repeatedly sought to present its war in Ukraine as a fight against Nazism. “Repetition does not make it true,” he said. Russia’s representative called the amendment a “procedural ploy”, while Belarus said its purpose was to insert an anti-Russian element into the resolution.

The wider draft would have the General Assembly condemn incidents glorifying Nazism and warn against the use of digital technology to spread racism and other forms of intolerance. The committee’s approval is not the same as final adoption by the full Assembly.