When Russia Loses the U.N. . . .

The United Nations finally did something useful regarding Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, as the General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council. The vote is one sign among many this week that the discovery of likely Russian war crimes in Ukraine is causing greater problems for the Kremlin.

The U.N. vote was 93-24, more than the two thirds majority needed. The practical effect is negligible, but the symbolism counts for something when Russia is barred from a Human Rights Council that includes the likes of Venezuela, Cuba and China. Apparently the Kremlin is too embarrassing as a human-rights arbiter even for the U.N.