UNITED NATIONS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took center stage at the United Nations on Tuesday, with US President Joe Biden cautioning against attempts to “appease” Russia’s “naked aggression.”
Zelensky, wearing his signature military fatigues, participated in the annual UN General Assembly session for the first time since the launch of the war, attentively listening to Biden’s call for global solidarity against Russia’s invasion.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia, who did not attend the event in New York, is seemingly expecting that the world “will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence,” Biden stated.
Biden Warns of Consequences of Supporting Russia
“But I ask you this: If we abandon the main principles of the UN Charter just to appease an aggressor, can any member nation in this body feel confident that they are secure? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any member state secure?” Biden questioned.
“We must stand up to this blatant aggression today to discourage other would-be aggressors tomorrow.”
While Biden received applause when advocating for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, some prominent world leaders chose to skip this year’s UN session, including China and Western allies Britain and France.
Zelensky is expected to engage with leaders less sympathetic to Ukraine’s cause, such as Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has previously criticized Ukraine’s role in the war and Western military aid.
Lula, positioning himself as a neutral mediator, emphasized the necessity of creating space for negotiations, saying, “A lot is invested in weapons and very little in development.”
Zelensky, who until recently traveled in utmost secrecy, will participate in a special session on Ukraine at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, where Russia holds a permanent membership with veto power over binding actions. He also plans to visit Washington.
Visiting a New York hospital treating wounded Ukrainian soldiers on Monday, Zelensky asserted that the United Nations still provides “a place for Russian terrorists.”
