At the United Nations Human Rights Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended the invasion of Ukraine, but was left talking to himself, after more than 140 diplomats decided to leave the main hall in Geneva.
Lavrov talked about how Vladimir Putin’s regime was practically forced to invade Ukraine, a country militarily smaller than its own, for the supposed sake of “pacifying” and repeating the Russian president’s message about the “threat” to Russia from Ukraine.
“ made territorial claims against the Russian Federation, threatened to use force and acquire a military nuclear capability,” Lavrov said before a room where diplomats were waiting their turn to leave.
This is powerful.
Diplomats from around the world stand up and leave as Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov begins his speech to UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.pic .twitter.com/z2GNQEGdqF
— Mike Galsworthy 🇺🇦 (@mikegalsworthy) March 1, 2022
One of the videos of the painful moment for Russia was shared by the permanent representative of Austria to the UN, Elisabeth Tichi-Fisslberger, who also represents her country in other organizations in Geneva.
“This morning, at the United Nations Human Rights Council, more than 140 diplomats refused to listen the futile attempt by Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, to justify the unacceptable military aggression,” the diplomat wrote.
This morning in the UN Human Rights Council more than 140 diplomats refused to listen to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s futile attempt to justify unacceptable military aggression. Watch them leave the Council Chamber. pic.twitter.com/Syox5sTvaD— Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger (@tichy_e) March 1, 2022
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Russia has faced problems in obtaining international support for its decision to invade Ukraine, although has elicited a lukewarm response from countries such as China, India, the United Arab Emirates and Cuba.
On the other hand, although Mexico supports a UN resolution against the invasion, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador refused to impose economic sanctions on the Putin regime.