UN Security Council to take up resolution condemning Russia

A senior U.S. official said the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Friday on a resolution condemning Russia in the strongest terms possible for attacking Ukraine and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces, knowing that the legally binding measure will be vetoed by Russia.

The United States believes it is important to put the resolution to a vote to underscore Russia’s international isolation and emphasizes that the expected veto will be followed quickly by a resolution in the 193-member General Assembly where there are no vetoes, the official said Thursday. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said the action is part of a broader, coordinated response that includes steps the Biden administration and its allies are taking.

The resolution is drafted under Article 7 of the U.N. Charter, which can be enforced militarily, and “condemns in the strongest terms possible Russia’s aggression” and violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and “requires the Russian Federation to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its forces” from Ukraine, according to the official.

Russia acknowledged that nearly 500 of its troops have been killed in the fighting and about 1,600 wounded. Ukraine, which has not released casualty figures for its own armed forces, has estimated Russian troop losses at up to 9,000.