Ukraine: UN Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an “affront” to the world’s collective conscience at a meeting of the General Assembly nearly one year on.
The meeting was discussing a motion backed by Ukraine and its allies demanding the end of war immediately and calling for a “just and lasting peace.”
In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General highlighted the impact on the world of Russia’s invasion. Mr. Guterres noted that it has generated eight million refugees and damaged global food and energy supplies in countries far away from the war zone.
“That invasion is an affront to our collective conscience. It is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law,” the UN chief commented.
Mr. Guterres stressed that the war was “fanning regional instability and fueling global tensions and divisions, while diverting attention and resources from other crises and pressing global issues.” According to the UN chief, there had been “implicit threats to use nuclear weapons.”
“It is high time to step back from the brink. Complacency will only deepen the crisis while further eroding our shared principles proclaimed in the Charter. War is not the solution. War is the problem. People in Ukraine are suffering enormously. Ukrainians, Russians, and people far beyond need peace,” Mr. Guterres added.
The US ambassador to the United Nations Ms. Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the resolution calls on member states to support diplomacy and a comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“This vote will go down in history. We will see where all nations stand on the matter of peace in Ukraine,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield observed.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Mr. Dmytro Kuleba told delegates that they faced a “decisive moment.”
“Never in recent history has the line between good and evil been so clear. One country merely wants to live. The other wants to kill and destroy,” Mr. Kuleba remarked.
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