PGA condemns Russian military strikes in Ukraine, Russia veto GA resolution

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 11^th Oct. UN General Assembly on Monday held an emergency special session on Ukraine

President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi said that the door for a diplomatic solution to end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine must be kept open, and any threat to use nuclear weapons, “universally condemned.”

Csaba Kőrösi was addressing the Emergency Special Session on the war in Ukraine.

Russia used the veto in the Security Council on 30 September on the resolution which condemned the recent annexation by Russia of four regions of Ukraine,.

Mr. Kőrösi said annexation had been plainly illegal.

GA resolution to be voted on later in the week stated that the referendums that were held leading up to the “attempted illegal annexation” also contravened international law.

He said “When it becomes a daily routine to watch images of destroyed cities and scattered bodies, we lose our humanity”.

“We must find a political solution based on the UN Charter and the international law.”

He cited the General Assembly resolution adopted on 2 March, called on Russian troops to withdraw from Ukrainian territory: “What is the alternative? A world without shared rules. A world without peace. A world without future.”

He praised the leadership of the Secretary-General António Guterres of the Black Sea Grain Initiative which has freed up some six million metric tonnes of grain so far, saying “we shall act together” to fully implement the lifesaving supply of food from Ukrainian ports.

He said it was imperative to secure its renewal, beyond the current timeline of mid-November.

UN General Assembly meeting began on Monday with a procedural vote on a measure which Russia had proposed that the Ukrainian draft resolution being debated be voted on by secret ballot, not through an open recorded vote.

Albanian proposal got 107 votes in favor, 13 against, and 39 abstentions, it argued that it would establish a “dangerous precedent” if such a substantive issue of peace and security was voted upon without each country making its view public.

Over 66 countries spoke at the emergency meeting in New York,

Ukraine’s ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, told the international community that his day had begun with news that his immediate family had been among those under attack back at home, from large-scale airstrikes launched by Russia, in retaliation for the attack on the Crimea land bridge, which President Vladimir Putin has described as a “terrorist” attack by Ukrainian special forces.

He said he had lost family members to Russian aggression, added hat 84 missiles and around two dozen drones had deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure during Monday’s multiple attacks on Ukrainian cities, including schools, universities and museums.

“The entire world has once again, seen the true face of the terrorist State that kills our people. Suffering defeats of the battlefield, Russia takes it out on the peaceful residents of Ukrainian cities”.

He said that voting for the draft resolution, would be a vote for the UN Charter, “for each country, for each of our citizens, for your families, for our children – a vote for justice”.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya said that the Albanian resolution which confirmed that a recorded vote would take place after debate had been a violation of the rules of procedure, and an “unprecedented manipulation”.

Nebenzya said Russia had been deprived of the ability to present its case, by the Assembly President himself. Russia was simply looking for fair compromise.

He said, but instead, “such cynicism, confrontation and dangerous polarization as today, we have never seen in the history of the UN.”

Ambassador Nebenzya said all aspects of the Ukraine crisis that did not suit Western powers, had been conveniently overlooked, and what he called the “Western camp” had no real interest in peace, ignored  Russia’s proposals in the Security Council.

“As we hear from their statements, peace in Ukraine is not something they need in principle”, and part of the NATO alliance’s plan to at least severely undermine Russia.

“Ukraine was chosen by these countries for that purpose, was brought under their control and today is a platform for the testing of NATO weaponry and for combat against Russia, using other people”, he said.

He accused Ukraine of an “outrageous” act of terrorism in “sabotaging” Russia’s bridge to Crimea.

Ambassador Nebenzya added that Russia could not stand by and let Ukraine act “with impunity”.