United Nations: The United Nations Ambassador to Ukraine, Sergei Kislitsia, has a copy of a screen shot he read during his address to the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, February 28, 2022.
Highlight
- Russia and Ukraine clashed at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.
- The session came as Kyiv urged the UN body to stop its invasion of Moscow.
- The 193-member UN General Assembly called a rare and unprecedented emergency special session.
Russia and Ukraine clashed on Monday at the UN General Assembly, which convened a rare emergency special session on the escalating crisis, with Kyiv calling on the UN body to stop its offensive against it and Moscow saying it did not launch hostilities. But trying to end the war. The 193-member UN General Assembly convened a rare and unprecedented emergency special session on Russia’s military operation in eastern Ukraine after the Security Council of 15 nations voted on a resolution to refer the crisis to the world organization’s most representative body.
Abdullah Shahid, president of the 76th session of the General Assembly, presided over the meeting, only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950. With the adoption of the UNSC resolution on Sunday, it was the first time in 40 years. The Council decided to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Sergei Kislitsya, began his emotional statement to the General Assembly by reading in Russian, an exchange of messages between a Russian soldier and his mother, in which the soldier was killed.
“We have been prompted to call an emergency special session because the level of threat to global security equals or exceeds World War II, following Putin’s order to alert Russian nuclear forces. It’s madness,” he said. said.
He said the General Assembly should be “vocal” in demanding that Russia cease its attack against Ukraine, recognize Russian actions as an act of aggression against a sovereign and independent state, and call on Russia immediately, completely. And demand the withdrawal of his army unconditionally. The territory of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders.
Kyslytsya said that the General Assembly should demand that Russia also reverse the decision regarding the situation in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions. “The General Assembly must also be clear about the treacherous role of Belarus and its involvement in the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
“If Ukraine doesn’t survive, the United Nations won’t survive. No confusion. If Ukraine doesn’t survive, we can’t be surprised if democracy fails further. Now we can save Ukraine, save the United Nations.” We can save democracy and protect the values we believe in and those Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and paying for,” Kyslytsya said.
He said President Vladimir Putin has done everything to “illegalize” the Russian presence at the United Nations. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia, speaking after the Ukrainian envoy, said that “the root of the current crisis” lies in Ukraine’s actions.
“For many years, it has flouted and broken its direct obligations under the Minsk Package of Measurement,” Nebenzia said. “I would like to point out that the Russian Federation did not initiate these hostilities. The hostilities were launched by Ukraine against its own residents, the residents of the Donbass and all those who are dissatisfied. Russia wants to end this war. “
“For us, Ukraine joining NATO is a red line first and foremost from the military strategic level. Deployment of NATO infrastructure in that country will force us to take measures in response and put us on the brink of conflict. Is done. “
While a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine would have been legally binding and General Assembly resolutions would not, voting in the 193-member UN body embodies world opinion on the crisis.
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