Malaysia has expressed "serious concern" over the "escalation of military conflict" in Ukraine at the emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The speech by the permanent representative to the UN Syed Mohamad Hasrin Aidid (above) yesterday did not describe the situation in Ukraine as a "war" or an "invasion", unlike the positions taken by Singapore and the Philippines.
Instead, Malaysia called on "all parties (to) abide and respect the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states" as required under international law and a violation of the principle was "unacceptable".
"At this critical juncture, we call on all parties to exercise restraint, take concrete steps to de-escalate and pursue dialogue to resolve the conflict peacefully.
"Malaysia, therefore, welcomes the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Belarus on 28 February 2022. We hope that the talks will continue and bring about a speedy resolution to the conflict to prevent further loss of lives and devastation," said Syed Mohamad.
That was the only mention of Russia in Syed Mohamad's speech.
"Malaysia reiterates our commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, guided by the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law in the interest of maintaining regional and international peace and security, as well as promoting greater prosperity.
"In this connection, Malaysia will vote in favour of the draft resolution which is now before the Assembly, said Syed Mohamad.
The draft resolution by the special session of the UN General Assembly condemned Russia's "aggression" in Ukraine and demanded an immediate unconditional withdrawal.
Resolutions by the special session UN General Assembly are non-binding, but backers of the resolution are hoping to show Russia that it is isolated in its campaign in Ukraine.
As of yesterday, the UN estimates that 136 civilians have been killed in the conflict and 600,000 displaced. The Ukrainian government puts the civilian death toll at 352.
There are also widespread reports that the Russian military is indiscriminately shelling and firing cluster bombs in residential areas. - Mkini
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