Russian Ambassador and Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said that one year ago, the Western bloc had tried to promote its peaceful initiatives and openly instilled in Ukrainian President Zelenskyy the notion that he could beat Russia. Ukraine has completely failed, while the West continues to pump weapons into the country and to discuss “dead end” peace prospects.A fair Euro-Atlantic security system must be discussed, he said, noting that NATO’s current actions include expectations that its expansion is “an absolute right”.Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine addresses the Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.“We could see the reality of Russia’s brutal aggression unfolding in real time; the world could see that choice between violence and diplomacy, war and peace unfolding in real time,” she said.
‘In any war, everyone suffers’
“No one wants peace more than the Ukrainian people,” he said.Ambassador Zhang Jun of China addresses the Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.Unlike Russia, Ukraine wants peace, he continued.“Today, despite President Putin’s best efforts, the world continues to bear witness to Russian brutality, Russian hypocrisy and Russian cruelty,” she added. French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Séjourné said that Russia has been waging a war for two years, an unjust, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression after seeking to invade its neighbour and take its territory for 10 years.
Danger of escalation ‘very real’
All countries, large and small, are entitled to a place in the international arena, he added, noting that sliding back into the colonial era is not an option.“That is the path to peace and security – in Ukraine and around the world.”The US ambassador said the “senseless war” has worsened global food insecurity, impacted global energy, caused incalculable damage to the environment, and undermined the global non-proliferation regime. Addressing Security Council members, with several Ministers and ambassadors in attendance, the Secretary-General reminded them of the United Nations principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.Instead of having relations with its neighbour, Russia, the bloc is “shooting itself in the foot” by falling into a harsher energy dependency with the US and has fallen into Russophobia.Europe is in the throes of strategic blindness while denying to Russia its own legitimate defence interests, which is a short-sighted approach, he said, adding that the bloc continues to promote anti-Russia propaganda, which the US tried to do during the Cold War.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
UN Photo/Evan Schneider