(United Nations) Ukraine on Monday accused Russia of being a “terrorist state” at the UN for killing civilians by massively striking Kyiv and major cities, bombings denounced by the United Nations and the West.
Updated yesterday at 10:40 p.m.
The member countries of the UN gathered Monday afternoon in the historic amphitheater of the General Assembly, in New York, to urgently debate a resolution condemning the annexation of Ukrainian regions by Moscow.
With this text co-drafted by the European Union, presented by Ukraine and which could be put to the vote on Wednesday, Westerners hope to demonstrate that President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is isolated on the international scene.
But it was Monday morning’s deadly strikes that monopolized the session where the two warring countries crossed swords in an electric atmosphere.
“Russia has once again proven that it is a terrorist state that must be deterred in the strongest possible way,” insisted Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya.
His Russian counterpart Vassili Nebenzia replied by comparing the Kyiv regime to the “most scandalous of terrorist organizations”, two days after the explosion – a “sabotage” according to Moscow – which seriously damaged the Russian Crimean bridge.
Before the General Assembly, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “deeply shocked”, had denounced the Russian bombardments: “A new unacceptable escalation of the war” for which civilians “are paying the highest price”.
More people will be forced to flee their homes in Ukraine, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has warned. “The horror of what happened in Ukraine today […] is inexcusable”, underlined the Italian diplomat with journalists, saying “to fear […] new population displacements.
“Absolute brutality”
US President Joe Biden protested against the “absolute brutality” of his Russian counterpart, while European diplomacy denounced “barbaric attacks”.
Ukrainian emergency services reported a provisional toll of 11 dead and 89 injured across the country, but Ambassador Kyslytsya spoke of 14 civilians killed and 97 injured.
Several days before these bombardments, the UN had decided to bring the file of the annexations of Ukrainian regions to its General Assembly – where each of the 193 members has a vote, without veto – after Russia had blocked a similar text in the Security Council. September 30.
“Illegal” annexations
The draft text condemns the “illegal” annexations of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhya and Kherson after “so-called referendums” and stresses that these actions have “no validity” under international law. He also calls for no one to recognize these annexations and calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Speaking at the UN, the charge d’affaires of the EU mission in New York, Silvio Gonzato, affirmed that the 27 “will never recognize the so-called ‘referendums’ imagined by Russia as a pretext for a further violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
But Russia had retaliated this weekend in a scathing letter to all member states, attacking “Western delegations” whose actions “have nothing to do with the defense of international law”.
Under tension, the session at the General Assembly was disrupted by a procedural battle launched by Moscow to obtain, in vain, a vote on the resolution by secret ballot, a very unusual procedure.
“Dangerous Climb”
Mr. Guterres had also denounced the annexations of Ukrainian territories at the end of September: “This flouts the goals and principles of the United Nations. It is a dangerous escalation. It has no place in the modern world. This must not be accepted”.
For an American official in New York, the remarks of the Secretary General of the UN “prove that it is not a question of the West against Russia”.
During the vote in the Security Council, no country sided with Russia, but four (China, India, Brazil and Gabon) abstained.
While some developing countries resent the West’s focus on Ukraine, others may follow suit this week.
100 to 140 votes for
The vote will make it possible to assess the degree of isolation of Russia. The efforts of defenders of the text to convince potential abstainers are thus going well.
Visiting Africa, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba said he “urges Africa not to remain neutral” during the vote, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Embassy in Dakar.
A European official expects 100 to 140 votes in favor.
The first two General Assembly resolutions against the Russian invasion in March received 141 and 140 votes for, five against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea) and between 35 and 38 abstentions. The third at the end of April, which suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council, had resulted in an erosion of international unity against Moscow, with many more abstentions (58) and votes against (24) facing 93 votes for.