of negotiations in the security council that it would veto their draft it makes clear the aid crisis is a result of russias invasion of ukraine south african on monday circulated a rival draft resolution that is similar to the russian text before the security council and makes no mention of russias aggression it was sent to the general assembly on tuesday the south african draft calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities as a first step in ameliorating the deteriorating humanitarian situation and encourages political dialogue negotiations mediation and other peaceful means aimed at achieving lasting peace unlike security council resolutions general assembly resolutions are not legally binding but there are no vetoes and they do have clout in reflecting international opinion the us ambassador said supporters of the frenchmexican resolution hoped to get the same vote for the draft as for a resolution adopted by the assembly march 2 that demanded an immediate halt to russias military action in ukraine and withdrawal of all its forces that resolution passed 1415 with 35 abstentions and was hailed by supporters as a demonstration of russias global isolation russia is the aggressor here and it is absolutely unconscionable for russia to think that they can put forward a humanitarian resolution thomasgreenfield said what russia needs to do is stop fighting it needs to stop killing ukrainians it needs to stop attacking civilians and forcing people from their homes and creating a humanitarian crisis the frenchmexican draft resolution reiterates the march 2 demand for russia to immediately stop its military offensive in ukraine and withdraw all its troops and it demands protection for all civilians and infrastructure indispensable to their survival the draft deplores the dire humanitarian consequences of russias aggression against ukraine which it says are on a scale that the international community has not seen in europe in decades and it deplores russias shelling airstrikes and besiegement of densely populated cities particularly the southern city of mariupol the proposed resolution strongly condemns attacks directed at civilians and civilian objects including evacuation convoys and demands that all parties protect civilians fleeing armed conflict and violence it further demands unhindered access for aid workers including their transport supplies and equipment russias proposed humanitarian resolution circulated a day after france and mexico announced they would take their draft to the general assembly doesnt refer to the war at all it just calls for protection of civilians in vulnerable situations and safe passage for humanitarian aid and people seeking to leave ukraine it endorses un secretarygeneral antonio guterres call for dialogue and negotiations and urges a negotiated ceasefire to rapidly evacuate all civilians russias draft further says there is a need for the parties concerned to agree on humanitarian pauses to this end while never identifying the parties concerned russian authorities maintain they did not start the war and have repeatedly and falsely decried reports of russian military setbacks or civilian deaths in ukraine as fake news state media outlets and government officials insist