Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to force Russia to make peace with kyiv, while denouncing Iran and North Korea as “accomplices” in his country’s war.
“Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what must be done: to force Russia into peace,” he said.
With all eyes on the Middle East at the UN General Assembly, the Ukrainian president, who arrived in the United States on Sunday, is trying to keep the international community’s attention on the situation in his country.
He must present to his American counterpart Joe Biden and to Congress in Washington the details of his “victory plan” aimed at putting an end to the Russian invasion of his country.
Volodomyr Zelensky pointed the finger at Iran and North Korea, accusing them of aiding the Russian war machine in Ukraine.
“Russia has no legitimate reason — absolutely none — to make Iran and North Korea de facto accomplices in its criminal war in Europe, with their weapons that are killing us, that are killing Ukrainians,” said the Ukrainian head of state, who has transformed himself into a warlord since the invasion of his country in February 2022.
At least three people were killed on Tuesday and more than 30 injured in a new Russian attack on a residential area of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city regularly hit by strikes, according to Ukrainian authorities.
“Western countries could not help but poison the atmosphere once again, trying to occupy airtime with the hackneyed issue of Ukraine,” accused Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia.
At this Council session, the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken called on the international community to act to denounce the military aid from Tehran and Pyongyang to Moscow.
This support helps Russian President Vladimir Putin “inflict carnage, suffering and ruin on innocent Ukrainian men, women and children,” he said.
His Chinese counterpart Wang Yi assured that Beijing was “not a party” to the conflict.
“China is not the originator of the Ukrainian crisis and is not a participant in it. China has always stood on the side of peace,” he said, rejecting US accusations that China provides support to Moscow.
“I want to be clear […]”Any attempt to shift the blame to China or to attack China or smear its reputation is irresponsible and will go nowhere,” he added.
Volodymyr Zelensky has again promised a second “peace summit” after the one in Switzerland in June. He specified that China, India and Brazil would be invited.
He finally expressed confidence that the UN Charter will eventually work to “end” the war in Ukraine.
kyiv is now pressing its Western allies for more air defense systems and long-range missiles to better defend its cities against daily Russian attacks.
France, through its new Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, has reiterated its unwavering support for Ukraine.
Peace “cannot take the form of a capitulation of the aggressor because there is an aggressor and an aggressed person,” he declared.
A peace agreement between Moscow and kyiv must be concluded “on the sole basis of international law while respecting” the territorial integrity of Ukraine, insisted the minister, who met his Ukrainian counterpart shortly before this meeting of the Security Council.