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Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo has justified Zambia’s vote in favour of the UN resolution demanding the cessation of Russian hostilities against Ukraine.
In a ministerial statement to Parliament on Zambia’s vote at the UN, Mr Kakubo says Zambia’s vote was guided by principles the country has stood for years of not supporting war.
He says in the past, Zambia voted against the US war in Iraq when a similar UN resolution came up.
Mr Kakubo says the position taken by Zambia is therefore consistent with the country’s long standing principle of not supporting war.
He adds that the vote was in line with the country’s foreign policy and the UN Charter.
Mr Kakubo states that Russia understands how Zambia votes at the UN based on the principle of not supporting war.
Zambia was among 141 countries that voted in favour of a UN resolution demanding that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its international recognized borders.