Through nearly three days of speeches by world leaders at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, many issues have been addressed, but aside from climate change, one pressing issue appears to have been universally condemned: Russia’s war in Ukraine.
As more than 80 world leaders have addressed the assembly by Thursday afternoon at UN headquarters in New York, many have cast a negative light on Moscow’s military operations in neighboring Ukraine. Many either called Russia by name, referred to unspecified global conflicts or the UN’s inability to deal with Moscow, or are leaders.
In his speech on Wednesday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Naušeda said that Russia had brought back to Europe “an old-style colonial war”. Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová accused Russian forces of war crimes.
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US President Joe Biden addresses the General Debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
“For more than 570 days, Russian forces have been killing innocent Ukrainian citizens, kidnapping children and destroying towns and cities,” he said.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Moscow’s attack “is a direct violation of the United Nations Charter, which we have all committed to by helping Ukraine.”
“He spent all these crises of various kinds and destroyed not only thousands of human lives but also the optimism that we can build better,” said Bulgarian President Rumen Radevn.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics was even more blunt: “Russia must bear full legal and financial responsibility for its aggression,” he said. “We must ensure full accountability for all crimes committed in Ukraine. This means holding Russia accountable as a state for violations of international law.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Many world leaders at the multi-day event condemned Russia for its military presence in Ukraine. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
On Tuesday, President Biden asked, “If we allow Ukraine to break up, is the independence of any nation safe?”
Leaders from Poland, Portugal, Hungry, Uruguay, Czech Republic and many others also stationed themselves in the war. Many said the conflict has strained regional stability and affected diplomatic relations between the nations.
Russia has been almost universally condemned for its invasion in February 2022. Since the fighting began, thousands are estimated to have been killed on both sides.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in New York to address the UN Security Council, where he called for international aid to help his country fend off Russian forces. He also spoke to G.S.
He accused Russia of supplying food and energy to children kidnapped in its war against his country.
“When hate is a weapon against a nation, it never stops there,” he said. “The goal of the current war against Ukraine is to turn our land, our people, our lives, our resources into weapons against you — against the rules-based international order.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addresses the United Nations General Assembly ahead of a vote on a UN resolution supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and calling for an end to hostilities following the Russian invasion, on February 23. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
On Wednesday, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called out Russia for efforts to prevent Zelenski from speaking at the UN Security Council. He noted that the notice of speaking orders had been given in advance and any objections should have preceded it.
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“I want to assure our Russian colleagues and everyone here that this is not a special operation of the Albanian presidency,” Rama said, referring to Moscow’s formulation of its invasion of Ukraine.
In response, Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, said Albania had put its “political and ideological beliefs above the obligations” of the council.
“I must say, coming off all those rule-breaking lectures in this building is quite an impressive show,” Rama replied. “But to the extent that you repeat it many times that the violation here is about President Zelensky speaking before the council members, there is a solution to that. If you agree, you stop the war and President Zelensky will not take the floor.”
Russia is expected to take the floor at the General Assembly on Saturday.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia arrives on Tuesday for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
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“Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defense,” Zelensky said. “Assisting Ukraine with arms in this exercise, by imposing sanctions and exerting overall pressure on the aggressor, as well as passing relevant resolutions, would mean helping to defend the United Nations Charter.”
The United States has spent billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, which has put up stiffer resistance than many expected. Russia’s forces have been described as demoralized as reports of faulty equipment and shortages of essential supplies have hurt its ability to conquer its neighbour.
Bradford Betz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
