Dozens of Diplomats Walk Out in Protest as Russia Addresses the UN

Dozens of diplomats walked out of Russia’s speech at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in a coordinated protest marking three years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported on February 26.

The walkout included high-level representatives from France, Germany, and Britain, who left the session in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

The diplomats gathered outside the chamber as Russia delivered its address, sending a clear message of condemnation over Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

Russia has faced widespread international isolation at the UN since its invasion, with repeated calls for accountability over war crimes and human rights violations in occupied Ukrainian territories. However, Moscow has continued to push its narrative, often finding support from a handful of allied nations.

Earlier, a resolution presented by Ukraine and the European Union at the United Nations General Assembly, which condemned Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from occupied territories, was passed.

The resolution was supported by 93 countries, while 18 voted against it and 65 abstained.

The United States voted against the measure. In her address to the General Assembly, U.S. Representative Dorothy Shea argued that previous UN resolutions condemning Russia’s actions and emphasizing its violations of international law had failed to halt the war.