1 March 2022, United Nations General Assembly, New York City, USA
Mr. President, Secretary General. For the first time since the United Nations was born, there is a full fledged war in the centre of Europe. Everyone in this hall and everyone in the world knows that Russia and Russia alone started this invasion now facilitated by Belarus. This war was not provoked. It was chosen by someone who is right now sitting in the bunker. We know what happened with the person who sat in the bunker in Berlin in May, 1945.
Before I continue with my formal statement, I would like to switch to Russian and invite you to put on the headphones because I would like to read from the screenshot of the smartphone of a killed Russian soldier. That's an actual screenshot from someone who is dead already. [inaudible]
[Reading screen]
Why has it been so long since you responded? Are you really enduring training exercises, asks the mother of the killed soldier.
[Moments before he was killed.]
Mum, I'm no longer in Crimea. I'm not in training sessions.
Where are you then? Papa's asking whether I can send you a parcel.
What kind of a parcel mama can you send me?
What are you talking about? What happened?
Mama. I'm in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I'm afraid We are bombing all of the cities together, even targeting civilians. We were told that they would welcome us and they are falling under our armoured vehicles, throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass. They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard.
[This was Several moments he was killed]
Imagine - if you want to just visualise the magnitude of the tragedy, you have to imagine next to you, next to every nameplate of every single country in this General Assembly, more than 30 souls of killed Russian soldiers already next to every name of the every single country in this assembly, 30 plus killed Russian soldiers, hundreds of killed Ukrainians, dozens of killed children, and it goes on and on and on. So just imagine those killed people next to you when you will listen to my formal statement.
Big militarised power seeking for geopolitical greatness has launched a full-fledged military offensive against a smaller neighbour, aimed at invading the country. Deadly airstrikes dropped on civilians' heads across the entire country and the Russian troops crossed Ukraine's borders from the territory of Russia-Belarus, and the occupied parts of Ukraine's Donbass and Crimea. Does it remind you of something, doesn't it? Indeed, very clear parallels could be drawn with the beginning of the Second World War and Russia's course of action is very similar to what their spiritual mentors from the Third Reich employed on the Ukrainian land 80 years ago.
Just one, the most recent example, example of human sufferings, example of war crime as all of us were on our way to the General Assembly today, the Russian army shelled with multiple rocket launcher systems, the residential areas of the city of Kharkiv, the second big biggest in Ukraine. Innocent civilians have been killed and wounded. The exact number is very difficult to estimate because of the warfare. While the negotiations are still underway at the border with Belarus. We therefore express our gratitude for the overwhelming support that made this decision on the emergency session possible. We are grateful to the president of the General Assembly for his taking care of this idea well in advance. We appreciate the engagement of the UN Secretary General who has taken a very strong stance in support of peace, in support of the UN Charter. We have been prompted to call for an emergency special session as the level of the threat to the global security has been equated to that of the Second World War, or even higher, following Putin's order to put on alert Russian nuclear forces. What a madness! If he wants to kill himself, he doesn't need to use nuclear arsenal. He has to do what the guy in Berlin did in a bunker. In May, 1945.
The security council addressed the issue of the Russian war against Ukraine and the decision was not adopted, due to the obvious reason. The country attempting to occupy Ukraine since 2014 has occupied the seat of the council permanent member since 1991. Therefore we do not accept the Russian logic that the Security Council was enabled to act due to one-sided and unbalanced approach. The only guilty party is the Russian Federation.
Distinguished delegates. Russia uses all its military potential to attack Ukraine and has begun redeploying reserve units on the border with Ukraine. It fires cruise and ballistic missiles at cities, attacks with aviation tanks and artillery, sends subversion and reconnaissance groups which mark residential buildings in preparation for the air attacks. Russia's missiles are now aimed at destroying the infrastructure objects. They targeted the radioactive waste disposal site near Kyiv, the fuel base in the town of Assuitiv that is effectively Kyiv's suburb. The objects of logistic infrastructure including bridges, airports, and water reservoirs remain among the targets. Such towns as # and # ar now nearly destroyed as well as residential buildings in and around Kiev and #. The Russian forces ceased the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station at the part of # region including the North Crimerian canal. Due to the active moving of Russian heavy militaries through the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the radiation level has increased rapidly
In the Black Sea. Russian warships deliberately attacked two civil vessels under the flags of Panama and Moldova approaching Ukraine. This constitutes a flagrant violation of the international law of the sea. Incredibly one of the vessels had a Russian crew! Still it was attacked by the Russians.
Russians keep attacking kindergartens and orphanages, thus committing war crimes and violating the Rome Statute. Hospitals and mobile medical aid brigades are also targeted by the Russian shelling, and the sabotage groups working in Ukraine's cities and towns. The Russian military fired on ambulance crews in the areas of # and Kiev. In the district of Sumi region. Russian tanks shot down a bus with civilians. Later, the Russian military did not allow ambulances on the spot. As of today, 352 people, including 16 children were killed on the Ukrainian side and 2040 Ukrainians, including 45 children wounded, during the first five days of the Russian invasion. And this number is growing nonstop. I have already told about the morning shellings in Kharkiv and we cannot really estimate at this moment how many were killed.
In response. Ukraine has activated its right for self defence, according to the Article 51 of the UN charter. The Russian troops are suffering losses, aircrafts, helicopters, tanks, trucks, personnel, the aggressive forces have already lost more than 5,000 in manpower during the first days of aggression.
Excellencies, this general assembly should be vocal in demanding from the Russian Federation to stop its offensive against Ukraine. In recognising Russian actions as an act of aggression against a sovereign and independent state. In demanding from Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. In demanding from the Russian Federation to reverse the decision related to the status of certain areas of Daniesk and #, regions of Ukraine. In demanding full compliance with the provisions of international humanitarian law. The General Assembly should also be clear with regard to the treacherous role of Belarus and is involvement in aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Distinguished members of the General Assembly. What is happening now in Ukraine has already had the security and humanitarian implications for all of you. Immediately for Europe, a bit later for the rest, including in terms of food security, energy security, financial markets, collapse of the economies. Last September, my president said, while delivering his statement at the high level segment of the 76th session of the General Assembly, and I quote, 'I understand that criticism of the UN is often heard, but we criticise ourselves.' End quote,
If we fail to respond now, we will face much more than criticism. We will face oblivion. It must not happen. Now it is time to act, time to help Ukraine that is paying now the ultimate price for freedom and security of itself and of the world. If Ukraine does not survive, international peace will not survive. If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive, have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next .
Now we can save Ukraine, save the United Nations, save democracy, and defend the values we believe in, and that Ukrainians are fighting for, and paying with their lives. The Russian delegate will speak shortly. Putin has done everything to delegitimize the Russian presence in the United Nations, but I wonder if the Russian presence in the United Nations has ever been legitimate. I wonder if ever this whole, this assembly voted in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 4 on admission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, either in December 1991 or in January, 1992, or whenever thereafter. I want to ask the delegates whose countries voted for admission of the Russian delegation to the United Nations to raise their hand.
To confirm that Russia was admitted to the United Nations according to the charter, please gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, please raise your hand if your country voted in the formal session of the General Assembly, in reply to the letter by President Yeltsin dated December 24th, 1991, when he told the United Nations that Russia would like to be a continuative state of the demised Soviet Union. Anyone? Shall I put my glasses if my vision fails me and I don't see any hand raised. Any country? Anyone voted for a Russian membership? I leave you with that, and think about it when you listen to the Russian delegate.