The UN Condemned Putin's Ukraine Invasion In A Huge Vote & Only 4 Nations Backed Russia

The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with very few countries taking the other side.

Member states were called to a vote during an emergency session held among the UN's general assembly on Wednesday.

Of the 193 members, 141 nations voted to condemn the "aggression against Ukraine," while five nations (including Russia) voted against it. Thirty-five others chose to abstain from the vote.

"You have chosen the right side of history," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted along with a list of the votes.

North Korea, Belarus, Syria and Eritrea were the only countries to back Russia in the vote.

Meanwhile, some of Russia's "longstanding allies," including China, Venezuela and Cuba, were among those who abstained from casting a vote, reports The Guardian.

"The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear: End hostilities in Ukraine — now. Silence the guns — now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy — now," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said.

"The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected in line with the UN Charter."

As the resolution results were announced, the U.N. General Assembly erupted in a standing ovation, which is a rare occurrence, reported CNN.

The U.N. Instagram page posted the moment the votes were announced, sharing the emotional reaction with the rest of the world.

"In a historic 'Uniting for Peace' session, the #UnitedNations General Assembly adopts a resolution demanding that #Russia immediately cease its use of force against #Ukraine and withdraw its military forces," reads the caption.

Even though the vote seemed to be a historical moment, many are reporting that it's likely to have no impact on Russia's actual fight against Ukraine.

"It isn't going to stop Russian forces in their stride, but it's a pretty enormous diplomatic win for the Ukrainians and the U.S., and everyone who has got behind them," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group, per The Guardian.

The resolution says that the U.N. "deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine."

It calls on Russia to "immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine" and "immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered a few different explanations for the invasion, including baseless claims that Ukraine is run by neo-Nazis and that it should never have become an independent country.