UN approves resolution blaming Russia for Ukraine humanitarian crisis

The United Nations approved a resolution on Thursday that blames Russia for the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The resolution calls for a cease-fire, protection for civilian structures and puts the blame of the situation fully on Russia, The Associated Press reported.

The “Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine” resolution states that Russia’s actions are “on a scale that the international community has not seen in Europe in decades.”

The resolution, proposed by Ukraine with two dozen other countries, was backed by 140 countries, with 38 abstaining and five voting against the measure.

Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Russia and Eritrea voted against the measure, while China voted to abstain, according to the AP.

The decision came after the assembly overwhelmingly rejected a resolution proposed by Russia Wednesday that recognized the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine but did not blame Russia for the situation. 

Russia insists Western countries are politicizing the issue, and U.S. and Russian officials argued during the meeting Thursday.

“Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told her Russian counterpart, Vassily Nebenzia. 

“If they cared, they would stop fighting. Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader, the sole party in Ukraine engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine, and they want us to pass a resolution that does not acknowledge their culpability.”