By John J. Metzler
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In a rare emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly, one of only 11 held since 1950, the organization's full 193-state membership weighed in on the Kremlin's war against Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and demanded an immediate halt to Russian military operations and a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
The vote tally on a tough resolution, "Aggression against Ukraine," was 141 to 5, with 35 abstentions. Though highly symbolic but not legally binding, the assembly vote stings Russia with the moral and political shame for its unprovoked invasion.
Backers of the resolution included the United States, Canada, all of Europe, and most of Latin America and Asia. Only four states backed Russia; Belarus, Syria, Eritrea and North Korea. Many of the usual suspects who can normally be relied upon to support Moscow in such a vote didn't, with China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Sudan among the 35 abstentions. Other abstentions included India, Pakistan and Iran.
Ukraine U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya stated regarding the Russian forces that "They have come to Ukrainian soil, not only to kill some of us ... they have come to deprive Ukraine of the very right to exist."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned, "Russia is aiming to erase Ukraine, its history and people."
However, the embattled president has by chance become the proud symbol of freedom and the fight for Ukraine. His words and, more importantly, his actions have galvanized his nation, and somewhat prepared it for this David versus Goliath confrontation.
Putin and his forces are carrying out war crimes with appalling Soviet-style ferocity to subjugate Ukraine. We are clearly facing real-time evil in Europe from a nuclear armed rogue regime.
Now Ukraine braces for the whirlwind of the Russian onslaught. Already Moscow's devastating attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian targets constitute war crimes and should be referred to courts in The Hague.
The Irish Foreign Ministry added, "Along with 37 other concerned states, Ireland will now formally refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court."
Moscow's military, it seems, may have miscalculated; the Russians expected a quick shock-and-awe blitzkrieg situation to unfold. This strategy however, fortunately failed to gain the momentum it needed it to. Ukrainian forces, many with prior combat experience from Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, have managed to stall and even halt the momentum of the attack, at least for now.
Sadly, despite Ukraine's predicament, Washington is well advised in keeping American troops out of the conflict as well as not implementing a no-fly zone over the disputed region.
More importantly, it seems, the Ukrainians have the will and the courage to fight in epic but uneven battles, not seen since Hungary in 1956.
Recalling the October 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the freedom fighters initially and surprisingly defeated Soviet garrison forces in the country.
Yet, their early exuberance soon turned bitter 10 days later, when, in early November, massive Soviet military forces streamed into Hungary from Ukraine. The Hungarians fought bravely, but the sheer numbers and brutality of the Russians broke their resistance and subdued a sullen land to Soviet communist rule.
Massive numbers of refugees fled and Hungary lost some of its most talented people.
Viewing the conflict from a humanitarian angle, already more than a million Ukrainian refugees and foreign nationals have fled from the intensifying war. Neighboring Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have helped ease this humanitarian wave of people with offers of food and shelter.
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, "The brutal effects of the conflict are plain to see. But as bad as the situation is for the people of Ukraine right now, it threatens to get much, much worse. The ticking clock is a time bomb."
He's right. While Putin's invasion has united NATO and the Europeans as never before ― in the modern era ― its consequences confront Europe with serious security, humanitarian and energy supply questions, given its dangerous dependence on Russian energy.
While American and European economic sanctions have squeezed Russia's economy, why hasn't Moscow's lucrative energy sector been subject to embargoes? Moreover, why is the U.S. still now importing 710,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia?
Both disgust over the war and pain from the economic sanctions may slowly begin to take effect in Russia. Putin faces domestic discontent, discord and political rumblings. A Pyrrhic victory for Moscow in Ukraine may change Putin's fortunes in Russia itself. Darkness is descending.
John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism ― The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."
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