UN suspends Russia from human rights body over atrocities in Ukraine

Event:

United Nations (UN) General Assembly hall at the UN Headquarters, New York City, 2006

The United Nations general assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the human rights council after images of atrocities apparently showing civilians left dead in the streets with their hands bound emerged following Russian troops’ withdrawal from around Kyiv. The call for Russia’s removal from the UN’s top human rights body was led by the United States, which concluded that Russian forces had committed war crimes. In a vote yesterday it gained the support of 93 countries. They were urged on by Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador, who told diplomats that “pressing ‘no’ means pulling the trigger, and means a red dot on the [voting] screen, red as the blood of the innocent lives lost”. Russia had said it would consider a yes vote an unfriendly act that would affect its bilateral relations with those countries. President Biden said he applauded the “overwhelming vote.”

WWW Comment

Russia has become a pariah state and is being ostracised by the majority of nations in the world. It is hard to see how Russia comes back from this. Such is the violence and horror that Putin’s soldiers have carried out there is no chance he will ever be welcome in the institutions the world has created. But this makes Putin even more dangerous. Many analysts say he will resort to ever greater levels of atrocity. Isolated, angry but surrounded only by people who agree with his every word Putin will look to avenge his humiliation in Ukraine. Daniel 8 says that Putin (latter day Antiochus Epiphanes the original king of the north) will “cause a shocking amount of destruction”. Another version says he will “cause astounding devastation.” The AV says “he shall destroy wonderfully.”

Putin will not be cowed by events turning against him in Ukraine – he will destroy more.

At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. (Daniel 8:23-24 NLT)

Andy Walton

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