(NewsNation Now) – Diplomatic efforts continued as war raged in Ukraine. On Friday, Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution telling Moscow to stop attacking Ukraine and withdraw all troops immediately.

But that setback for Ukraine was countered by manuevers on Saturday. As his country battled Russia for control of Kyiv, Ukrianian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the European Union to decide on its membership via this post on Twitter:

It is a crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s membership in the #EU. Discussed with @eucopresident further effective assistance and the heroic struggle of Ukrainians for their free future.

Ukrainians have sought to join the European Union for nearly eight years. This desire to deepen its relationship with Western Europe, along with the chance NATO, are among the motivations Russian President Vladamir Putin has for invading Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s announcement is in line with others who want to support Ukraine by granting it E.U. acceptance. On Thursday, the French newspaper Le Monde called on the E.U. to recognize Ukraine as a candidate state.

In addition, China, who abstained in the U.N. Security Council vote, stated on Saturday that the country’s position on protecting national sovereignty applies equally to Ukraine.

“China firmly believes that the sovereignty & territorial integrity of all countries should be respected & protected and the purposes & principles of (the UN Charter) abided by in real earnest. This position of China is consistent & clear-cut, and applies equally to the Ukraine issue,” wrote Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese government’s special representative on Korean peninsula affairs, according to a report by CNN.

The veto in the United Nations resolution was expected, but the United States and its supporters argued that the effort would highlight Moscow’s international isolation.

The 11-1 vote — with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining — showed significant but not total opposition to Russia’s invasion of its smaller, militarily weaker neighbor.

The resolution’s failure paves the way for backers to call for a swift vote on a similar measure in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, where there are no vetoes. There was no immediate timetable for a potential Assembly vote.

Spearheaded by the U.S. and Albania, the Security Council resolution would have deplored Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine. It called for Moscow immediately to pull out its military and stop using force against Ukraine, and to reverse a decision to recognize two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions aren’t legally binding, but they can function as statements of world opinion. In an Assembly meeting Wednesday as Moscow’s invasion loomed, dozens of countries condemned Russia or expressed solidarity with Ukraine. Russia and ally Syria defended Moscow’s moves.

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