Great powers trampling on small nations is unwelcome – Akufo-Addo on UN vote against Russia

The vote was to condemn Russia’s annexation of three Ukrainian regions months after Moscow launched an onslaught on Kiev.

“This is something I need to put on record,” President Akufo-Addo stated whiles speaking with a German delegation led by Svenja Schulze, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Akufo-Addo added that Ghana, for good reason led the independence fight in Africa, because of a historic position of being against great power domination of the affairs of the world.

That was the basis on which Ghana joined over 130 other nations to vote against Russia, “and it is a position we will continue to hold. Great powers trampling on small nations is not something that we welcome. Within our modest means we will register our disapproval of that.”

The war on Ukraine clocks a year today (February 24) with allies of Ukraine especially the United States promising to stand by them in the fight to resist Russia.

Ghana votes against Russia

Ghana voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression on Ukraine by way of the recent annexation of four regions after a controversial referendum.

Ghana was one of 143 nations that voted ‘YES’ with 35 ‘ABSTENTIONS’ and five ‘NO’ votes.

A UN statement on the vote read: “The results were 143 Member States in favour, with five voting against, and 35 abstentions. The countries who voted against were Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.

“A majority of those countries abstaining were African nations, alongside China and India.

“The resolution “defending the principles” of the UN Charter, notes that the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia are temporarily occupied by Russia as a result of aggression, violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence,” it added.

The YES vote is consistent with Ghana’s position that Russia must end the war it started on February 24, 2022 and to respect all territorial arrangements that existed prior to the commencement of hostilities.

It was the second pro-Ukraine resolution Ghana has backed. The earlier one was in March, weeks after the war started, with Ghana voting to condemn Russian aggression on Ukraine.