The UN general assembly has voted to suspend Russia from its leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes. Speaking after the vote, Russia's deputy UN ambassador Gennady Kuzmin described the move as an 'illegitimate and politically motivated step' and then announced that Russia had decided to quit the human rights council altogether. Under Thursday's resolution, the General Assembly could have later agreed to end the suspension, but that cannot happen now Russia has quit the council.