US President Joe Biden told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that Russia cannot be allowed to “brutalize Ukraine without consequences” and asked world leaders to protect Kiev from Moscow’s “aggression”.
The 78th session of the International Forum opened with the intervention of the American leader as the host state, after the speech of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who, according to tradition, spoke first.
“For the second year, this meeting dedicated to peaceful conflict resolution has overshadowed the war, the war of illegal occupation, being waged by Russia’s provocation against its neighbor, Ukraine,” Biden said as President Volodymyr looked on. Zelensky and the rest of the Ukrainian delegation, who are among those present at the UN headquarters in New York.
“The United States wants this war to end, as do other nations, and that is why we are supporting Ukraine to achieve a peaceful solution, to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the US leader continued. “Only Russia is responsible for this war, Russia is the only one who can end the war immediately, and Russia is the only one that is an obstacle to peace, because the price is surrender, territory and children of Ukraine.
Then, Biden noted that Moscow “believes the world will get bored and let the atrocities in Ukraine go unrewarded.” “But if we abandon the basic principles, does any of the member states of this body have confidence that they will be protected if they allow the division of Ukraine?” he asked. “No. We must defend Ukraine in the face of this brazen aggression in order to deter future aggressors, and that is why the US and its allies will continue to defend the brave people of Ukraine who continue to assert their sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity. .”
In a speech that lasted about 30 minutes, the US president emphasized that “no country can deal with the current challenges alone.” Biden said that the international community is facing a “turning point in world history” and also talked about, among other topics, the climate crisis or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as competition with China. “I want to be clear and consistent. “We try to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so that it does not turn into a conflict.
Zelensky’s attention
In a few hours, Volodymyr Zelensky will also intervene, who will participate for the first time at the UN headquarters in New York after the Russian invasion, and this year will be one of the main characters of the forum, where the leaders of the major will be. The nations meet, the powers-that-be – though this year there is a notable absence, such as that of French President Emmanuel Macron or British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak -.
In fact, for the first time in years, Biden is the only leader of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to attend the UN General Assembly this week, as the leaders of China and India were also absent.
Zelensky must retain Western support, but also win over the so-called “Global South” countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, many of which do not share Western positions on Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
141 of the 193 members of the assembly voted in favor of a resolution condemning the war on its first anniversary. 32 abstained, including China, India and Pakistan.
This Tuesday, Lula da Silva said in a speech that the war in Ukraine “reveals our collective inability to fulfill the goals and principles of the UN Charter.” “We do not underestimate the difficulties of achieving peace, but no solution will last if it is not based on dialogue.” I once again stated that we must work to create space for negotiations.”
In Last articleRichard Gowan, UN Director of the International Crisis Group, said that Ukraine, along with the international development situation, will be an issue that will be on the agenda of world leaders at the UN General Assembly. He said African, Asian and Latin American diplomats complained about “the amount of time that Ukraine has absorbed at the UN compared to other international crises and challenges.” “The United States and its allies must use the General Assembly to demonstrate that they can simultaneously focus on Ukraine and the concerns of the Global South.”
“War has serious consequences”
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said in his speech that the war in Ukraine “in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law has caused a series of horrors: it has destroyed lives; violation of human rights; broken families; traumatized children; Shattered hopes and dreams.”
“But beyond Ukraine, the war has serious consequences for all of us. Nuclear threats put us all at risk. Ignoring global treaties and conventions makes everyone less safe. And the poisoning of global diplomacy hinders progress in all areas,” Guterres said.
The UN Secretary General mentioned the agreement on the export of grain through the Black Sea, from which Russia withdrew last July. “The world urgently needs Ukrainian food and Russian food and fertilizer to stabilize markets and ensure food safety, and I will not stop in my efforts to achieve this.”
Ukraine’s president, who spoke via video conference last year, will also attend a UN Security Council meeting this Wednesday.
Zelensky arrived in New York on Monday with his wife, Olena Zelenska, and visited a rehabilitation center where seriously injured or maimed Ukrainian soldiers recuperate.
Within the framework of the event, the President of Ukraine is also planning a bilateral meeting with many leaders. On Thursday, he will do so with his American counterpart, Biden, at the White House.
Source: El Diario
