Massive majority expected in UN’s demand for Russia to leave Ukraine | First Thing

Global south countries including China, South Africa and India expected to abstain. Plus, why Starbucks is putting virgin olive oil in coffee

Good morning.

The 193-strong UN general assembly is expected by a massive majority today to endorse a broad resolution demanding Russia unconditionally and immediately withdraw from Ukraine’s territory, but China, South Africa, India and many countries in the global south are likely to continue to abstain, underlining their separation from what they regarded as the west’s war.

What has the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said ahead of the vote? Speaking yesterday during a special session of the general assembly, Guterres called the anniversary of Moscow’s attack “a grim milestone for the people of Ukraine and for the international community” and condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an “affront to our collective conscience”.

What do these flexing of alliances indicate? Both sides seem to be digging in for prolonged conflict in Ukraine with the fighting expected to intensify with the arrival of spring.