A total of 143 countries on Wednesday supported a resolution that called Moscow's move illegal, deepening Russia's international isolation, news agencies reported.
Only four countries, Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea and Belarus. joined Russia in voting against the resolution, the Reuters news agency reported.
Thirty-five countries abstained, including China, while the rest did not vote, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet that he
was grateful to the 143 states that supported the General Assembly's "historic"
resolution.
He added that Russia's "attempt at annexation is worthless and will never be recognized by free nations."
Poland's ambassador to the United Nations, Krzysztof Szczerski, earlier this week called on member states to vote in favour of the resolution to denounce Russia's attempt to annex Ukrainian territory.
Addressing a special session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, Szczerski, said: "The Polish position is clear: the sham referenda are evidently illegal. They cannot produce any legal effect, and they cannot lead to any binding action."
He added that "the non-recognition of the Russian policy of fait accompli is a pre-condition for diplomacy to work and for peace talks to begin."
Russian President Vladimir Putin in late September signed documents to incorporate four regions of Ukraine into Russia at a televised ceremony in the Kremlin.
The move came after Russia held what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine and declared the annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
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Source: PAP, Reuters