In his passionate speech at the United Nations, Zelenskyy accuses Russia of committing ‘genocide’.
NEW YORK — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday accused Russia of committing “genocide” by abducting thousands of children from Ukraine, calling during a fiery speech at the United Nations for the world not to tolerate the “evil” undergirding Moscow’s actions.
“I cannot reword.”
He stated that global leaders need to join forces in order to overcome the aggressor, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I cannot reword.”
The Ukrainian president suggested asking Prigozhin about the potential outcome of betting on Putin’s promises.
Prior to his death, Mr. Prigozhin was reported to have made a deal with Mr. Putin to stay alive free of charges despite having led a brief Wagner Group mutiny against the Russian president in June.
The harsh and at times wandering commentary from Mr. Zelenskyy marked a dramatic high-point of the marathon of speeches from world leaders at the General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.
The Ukrainian president addressed the audience shortly after President Biden’s speech, urging international leaders to support the United States and its allies in facing Russia. He emphasized the importance of removing Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, stating that the safety of all nations is at stake.
Mr. Zelenskyy conveyed a comparable message, while avoiding any mention of the current situation of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to counter Russian defenses in the southern and eastern regions.
When Mr. Zelenskyy visits Washington later this week, the focus of discussions is expected to be on the counteroffensive. Kyiv has faced increasing pressure in recent months to address concerns about the effective utilization of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance from the US and NATO.
The U.S. has contributed about $70 billion to Ukraine’s effort to fight off the Russian invasion launched in February 2022. The financial support has been met with increasing resistance from some Republicans on Capitol Hill, particularly in the House. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, has balked at writing what he called “a blank check” to support Kyiv.
On Tuesday, Mr. Zelenskyy primarily discussed Russian aggression, which gained significant attention due to his recent actions of removing key officials from the Ukrainian defense ministry.
Mr. Zelenskyy urged world leaders to grant his nation the ability to influence Russia in potential negotiations to end the war, emphasizing that the Kremlin has utilized various resources such as oil, gas, and Ukrainian grain supplies to manipulate the global market.
“I cannot reword”
Mr. Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the proposal during a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. “This presents a genuine opportunity for all nations to guarantee that acts of aggression against your country… will cease not due to territorial division or submission to military or political pressure, but because your land and independence will be completely reinstated.”
Moscow has shown no appetite for the Ukrainian plan, which calls for the removal of all Russian forces from Ukraine and the return of all Ukrainian territory to Kyiv, including the Crimean Peninsula that Russia unilaterally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Mr. Putin was not in the audience for Mr. Zelenskyy’s speech on Tuesday. The Russian president is skipping this year’s U.N. gathering amid speculation he could be arrested under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
The warrant accused the Russian president of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Moscow has dismissed the claim that thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred from their homeland to areas under Russian control.
Mr. Zelenskyy, addressing the gathering in English, sought to highlight the issue.
He stated that there is knowledge of the identities of tens of thousands of children, along with evidence of hundreds of thousands more who were abducted by Russia in the occupied regions of Ukraine and subsequently expelled.
“We are making efforts to bring the children back to their homes. However, time keeps passing by,” he expressed concern. “What will be their fate?”
“I cannot reword”
