Zelenskyy to world: stand united against Russia in Ukraine

NY: United Nations General Assembly 78th Session - Day 1

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses the United Nations General Assembly 78th Session (UNGA), United Nations Headquarters, NY, September 19, 2023.(Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA) Credit: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA

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Russia's invasion of Ukraine has dominated the first session of the United Nations General Assembly, which has convened in New York this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the world community must help Ukraine push Russia back, so that the focus can return to other global problems.


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TRANSCRIPT:

"Evil cannot be trusted. Ask Prigozhin if one bets on Putin's promises?"

That is Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making his first in-person speech at the United Nations General Assembly since Russia invaded his country.

He has urged the world to keep standing behind Ukraine.

Zelenskyy says a nuclear armed Russia may plunge the globe into a final war if all nations don’t continue to take a stand.

"Please hear me, let unity decide everything openly. While Russia is pushing the world to the final war, Ukraine is doing everything to ensure that after Russian aggression, no one in the world will dare to attack any nation. Weaponisation must be restrained. War crimes must be punished. Deported people must come back home, and the occupier must return to their own land. We must be united to make it. And we'll do it. Slava Ukrainia."

Mr Zelenskyy has told the General Assembly that he believes Russia is attempting to weaponise everything - from nuclear energy, to food.

"Since the start of the full scale war, the Ukrainian ports in the Black and Azov seas have been blocked by Russia. Until now, our ports on the Danube river remain the target for missiles and drones. And it is clear Russia's attempt to weaponise the food shortage on the global market in exchange for a recognition for some, if not all, of the captured territories. Russia is launching the food prices as weapons. The impact stems from the Atlantic coast of Africa to South East Asia. And this is the threat scale."

The international community has responded in kind, declaring that war is never the solution.

A range of leaders have called for the conflict to come to an end, including Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi, despite Tehran coming under recent criticism for its apparent decision to continue selling drones to Moscow.

"We support any initiative to end the war and start the political process and declare our readiness to play a constructive role in this field."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the war has had a wide-ranging impact that goes past Ukraine's borders.

“Beyond Ukraine, the war has serious implications for us all. Nuclear threats put us all at risk, ignoring global treaties and conventions makes us all less safe, and the poisoning of global diplomacy obstructs progress across the board. We must not relent in working for peace, a just peace in line with the U-N charter and international law."

The Secretary General says the United Nations will do what it can to bring about peace - but that cooperation is key to making progress.

"Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond. … Instead of ending the scourge of war, we are seeing a surge of conflicts, coups, and chaos. If every country fulfilled its obligations under the charter, the right to peace would be guaranteed. When countries break those pledges, they create a world of insecurity for everyone. Exhibit A, Russia's invasion of Ukraine."

That cooperation is unlikely to be forthcoming from Russia.

With an international warrant for his arrest still current, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the General Assembly meeting in New York.

Instead, he has remained in Moscow, meeting with the country’s Military Industrial Commission.

Despite a range of sanctions on the Russian economy, the country's biggest producer of arms says it has lifted production of some military hardware by more than tenfold to supply its army in Ukraine.

The president has talked up that increase in production.

"Today, the domestic defence industry is creating modern and in many ways unique weapons and equipment, and is actively increasing production volumes in order to supply the units and formations participating in the special military operation in the best possible way."

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