Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given an address at the UN General Assembly, urging global leaders to stand with his country.
Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that there’s no alternative to the “peace formula” he presented two years ago.
Among other things, it seeks the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukraine and accountability for war crimes.
“Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are, in fact, efforts to achieve an out instead of an end to the war,” he said.
“Do not divide the world. Be united nations and that will bring us peace,” he urged.
Also, Zelenskyy noted that it’s the Ukrainian people who experience the brunt of the war and Ukrainians who are “forcefully separated” by Russia.
“That’s why we say, rightfully so, there can be no just peace without Ukraine and I thank every leader, every country, that supports us in this. That understands us, that sees how Russia, a country more than 20 times larger than Ukraine in territory, still wants even more land, more land which is insane.
“They’re seizing it, day by day, while wanting to destroy its neighbor.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In his speech, Zelenskyy recounted the first day of the Russian invasion in 2022 and the takeover of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
“In the peace formula I presented, the first point is about nuclear safety. In Ukraine we know exactly what we are dealing with,” Zelenskyy said.
“The general assembly demanded that Russia return control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Ukraine. Only then will real nuclear security return to Europe and the world,” he added.
Zelenskyy warned that the ongoing war could lead to attacks that damage Ukraine’s nuclear plants, which could have dangerous global consequences
“War always poses a threat to many and, if, God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one, one of our nuclear power plants radiation will not respect state borders.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian intelligence has found that Russia is scanning the country’s nuclear infrastructure by satellite.
He claimed that Putin “does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and the infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid.”
“Any critical incident in the energy system could lead to a nuclear disaster, a day like that must never come,” Zelenskyy said.
“Moscow needs to understand this, and this depends in part on your determination to put pressure on the aggressor,” he told the General Assembly.
Zelenskyy Takes Aim At Other Peace Proposals
Zelenskyy questioned the “true interest” of a push by China and Brazil to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, telling the United Nations General Assembly, “You will not boost your power at Ukraine’s expense.”
“Ukrainians will never accept – will never accept – why anyone in the world believes that such a brutal colonial past, which suits no one today, can be imposed on Ukraine now,” he said.
“When some propose alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles, it not only ignores the interests and suffering of Ukrainians … it not only ignores reality, but also gives Putin the political space to continue the war.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy says he has met leaders from many countries at the UN, including India, Guatemala, Japan and Italy.
“These are different parts of the world and various political ways of life, but they share the same understanding peace is needed, and it must be a real, just peace,” he said, adding that will be difficult at the UN.
He stated that unfortunately it is “impossible” to resolve matters of war at the UN because too much depends in the UN’s security council on member’s veto power.
“When the aggressor exercises veto power, the UN is powerless to stop the war,” he noted.
“But the peace formula … there is no veto power in it. That’s why it’s the best opportunity for peace,” he added.
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