Despite Western opposition, most of the General Assembly supported the Russian-proposed resolution
The UN General Assembly has approved a Russian-proposed resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism, despite opposition from Ukraine and a significant group of Western countries.
The vote on a draft document titled ‘Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance’ took place on Tuesday. The resolution was adopted with 119 votes in favor, 53 against, and ten abstentions.
Those opposing the resolution included Ukraine – which Russia has long accused of promoting neo-Nazi ideology – and many of Kiev’s supporters, including NATO members Canada, France, Germany, the UK, the US, the Baltic states, and Poland. Notable abstentions included Switzerland and Türkiye.
Maria Zabolotskaya, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, described the resolution as “aimed at dialogue and cooperation, not at ‘sticking labels’.” She also argued that the fight against Nazism is one of the primary functions of the UN, which was created in the aftermath of the horrors of World War II.
Zabolotskaya voiced concern about what she said was an attempt by Western countries “to sow discord among UN member states and complicate international cooperation in combating neo-Nazism, racism and xenophobia.” However, according to the Russian official, the vote’s results showed that the global majority was still opposed to Nazism in all of its forms.
A representative of Ukraine explained the opposition to the resolution, claiming that Russia had lost all moral rights to position itself as a global advocate against Nazism due to the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
In light of this, the resolution was amended with a paragraph expressing “alarm” about Russia allegedly seeking “to justify its territorial aggression against Ukraine on the purported basis of eliminating neo-Nazism,” which supposedly “seriously undermines genuine attempts to combat neo-Nazism.”
Zabolotskaya disassociated from the paragraph, describing it as a “ruse” to undermine global efforts to fight Nazism.
The resolution on combating Nazism is not legally binding, but rather serves as a reflection of the collective opinion of the international community. In particular, the document “expresses deep concern about the glorification” of the Nazi movement, including erecting monuments, holding demonstrations whitewashing this ideology, while hailing efforts to combat history revisionism.
