For once, there is good news on the Eastern Front. The vote was held yesterday by the U.N. Human Rights Council to fill those two available seats for Eastern Europe. And, as reported by AP News, the vote was: Bulgaria – 160; Albania – 123; Russia – 83.

The country that was suspended from the very same Council last year because of its unjustified invasion of Ukraine; the country whose president is unable to travel outside Russia because of the outstanding arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court by reason of his forced deportation of Ukrainian children; the country that still felt it had “a right” to regain its seat on that Council — that country has been told in no uncertain terms that it cannot simply stamp its foot and insist that its punishment is unfair. That country may see fit to act like a petulant child . . . but for once, Mama is standing firm.

There is still concern, of course, that 83 countries did vote in Russia’s favor. And since the ballot is secret, there is no way of knowing which countries they were. But that is not really surprising; Russia does still have allies scattered throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. What matters in the end is that they were vastly outnumbered.

So take your defeat like a man, Vladimir Vladimirovich. The free world has spoken.

Brendochka
10/11/23