Russia’s attack on Ukraine ‘insult to collective conscience’, Antonio Guterres

A day before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the war, calling it “an insult to our collective conscience”.

Guterres was addressing the UN General Assembly ahead of a vote on a Kiev-backed resolution calling for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine. This resolution includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Guterres said that Russia’s attack is a violation of the UN’s fundamental charter and international law. “As I have been saying since day one, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine challenges the fundamental principles and values ​​of our multilateral system,” he said. He also responded to Russia’s hints that it might use nuclear weapons in the war.

“We have heard the pernicious threats to use nuclear weapons. The so-called strategic use of nuclear weapons is totally unacceptable. It is time to step back from the threshold,” Guterres said.

The resolution “reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” It called on Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces from the territory of Ukraine.”

Russia has rejected the draft resolution in question. He urged the General Assembly not to vote on it, calling it “unbalanced and anti-Russian”. Moscow maintains that it is fighting this war over Western countries arming Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. He calls it the “indirect war” of the West.

“The West has brazenly ignored our concerns and continues to move NATO military infrastructure close to our borders,” Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebanzia, said in a speech to the General Assembly.

“They (the West) are ready to push the whole world into the abyss of war and America and its allies want to establish their hegemony,” he added. “Russia had no other choice but to launch a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 last year,” said the Russian Permanent Representative.

Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, Ukraine’s first lady called for the creation of an international tribunal to judge Russia’s actions. Addressing a meeting of diplomats from around the world via video link, Olena Zelenska said that Ukrainians have been killed in their own cities, villages, apartments, hospitals and theaters in front of the whole world for a year.

“I think you will agree with that. Regardless of our country or nationality, we have the right not to be killed in our own homes,” he said. Zelensky called on the United Nations to establish a special tribunal to investigate the crimes of Russian aggression.