The US President accuses Putin of violating the UN Charter.
(Photo: AP)
new York On the day of the partial mobilization in Russia, US President Joe Biden denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin as an outsider to the world community at the UN General Assembly. Biden criticized the planned referenda in Ukraine as a sham referendum and the war as a war of aggression. With his attack on Ukraine, Putin violated “core principles of the UN Charter”.
“Putin claims he had to act because Russia was under threat. But no one threatened Russia,” he clarified. With the war, Putin wants to destroy the existence of Ukraine and its people. “Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you believe in, that should make your blood run cold!” he called out to leaders in New York. Ukraine has the same rights as any other sovereign nation. “We stand by Ukraine!” Biden shouted.
The President also challenged the narrative that Ukraine or the West with its sanctions are to blame for the world’s food shortages. “Our sanctions explicitly allow Russia to export food,” Biden said. “It is Russia that is creating the food shortage.” In the direction of Moscow, but also to countries like Iran, Biden warned: “A nuclear war cannot be won and must not take place.”
On Wednesday morning in New York, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the announced partial mobilization and the planned referendum as an “act of desperation” by the Russian government. Putin fully supported the situation.
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The day before, Scholz had condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine as “blatant imperialism” in his first speech to the UN General Assembly. “There is no justification for Russia’s war of conquest against Ukraine,” he said, and called for those responsible to be punished: “We must look and act when Russia commits war crimes in Mariupol, Bucha or Irpin.” We will hold the murderers accountable.”
>> More on the Ukraine war: Follow the current events in our live blog.
He went on to say: “Putin will only give up his war and his imperial ambitions if he realizes that he cannot win this war.”
The partial mobilization of Russia is already being discussed at the UN General Assembly in New York.
(Photo: AP)
In his speech, Scholz reiterated that a Russian “dictated peace” was not acceptable to him. Ukraine must be able to repel Russia’s attack. “We support Ukraine with all our might: financially, economically, humanitarianly and also with weapons.”
In this context, it was the first speech by a German head of government since 2007. Shortly before the chancellor left for New York, the federal government had promised further weapons from Bundeswehr stocks, including four heavy artillery pieces of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 type.
In his speech to the UN, French President Emmanuel Macron also described Russia’s actions as a “return to the age of imperialism and colonies”. With this admonition he indirectly addressed the many represented states that were formerly colonies themselves.
But Macron also defended that he continues to talk to Putin: “It’s not about taking sides between East and West or North and South,” said Macron. It’s about respect for the UN Charter and about peace. Anyone who keeps quiet today is making themselves complicit, he said, banging his fist on the desk.
The Turkish President presents himself as a mediator in the Ukraine war.
(Photo: IMAGO/Xinhua)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented himself as a mediator in the Ukraine war. In his opening speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Turkey’s help in the UN negotiations on grain exports.
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“We need a dignified way out of the crisis with a diplomatic process that is rational, fair and acceptable,” Erdogan said. On the one hand, Turkey is helping Ukraine. On the other hand, Erdogan has criticized the sanctions against Russia.
This year, most heads of state and government have appeared in person, rather than sending their foreign ministers, as is often the case. This shows that the stage of the UN General Assembly has become more important with the war in Ukraine.
The General Assembly had already convened for an extraordinary session in March because the Security Council was unable to condemn the attack on Ukraine because of Russia’s veto. The fact that 141 of 193 UN member states then condemned the Russian attack was considered a diplomatic success. The world’s two most populous countries – China and India – abstained.
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