At a recent meeting of the General Assembly, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a grave violation of global conscience. The discussion centred around a resolution proposed by Ukraine and its allies, calling for Russia’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine. Ukraine hopes that the resolution will demonstrate international solidarity and garner support.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has accused the West of being willing to go to any lengths to defeat Russia, while its ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, claimed that the US and its allies were prepared to drag the entire world into war.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed up to 200,000 troops to invade Ukraine, resulting in the largest European invasion since World War II. The ensuing conflict caused immeasurable devastation, with at least 7,199 civilians killed and thousands more injured according to the United Nations. The US military estimates that each side suffered at least 100,000 military casualties. The conflict also caused over 13 million people to become refugees or be displaced within Ukraine.
Ukraine and its allies rejected Putin’s justification for the invasion, which he claimed was necessary to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine due to its historic ties to Russia. Instead, they denounced it as an unprovoked attack and a pretext for aggression.
António Guterres said, “That invasion is an affront to our collective conscience, It is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.”
The UN Secretary-General further noted that the war was “fanning regional instability and fuelling global tensions and divisions, while diverting attention and resources from other crises and pressing global issues”.
There had been “implicit threats to use nuclear weapons”. “It is high time to step back from the brink,” he said.
“Complacency will only deepen the crisis, while further eroding our shared principles proclaimed in the Charter. War is not the solution. War is the problem. People in Ukraine are suffering enormously. Ukrainians, Russians and people far beyond need peace.”
The resolution, which emphasizes the importance of achieving a comprehensive, fair, and long-lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter, has been backed by 60 countries. They are all in agreement that such a resolution is necessary and urgent. Says the UN secretary General
The United Nations is expected to give its approval to the resolution, which lacks legal enforceability but carries substantial political significance. The vote is scheduled for Thursday, which marks the first anniversary of the invasion.
