New York, AS (VOA) —
US President Joe Biden again condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022 as a violation of key principles of the UN Charter. In his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (19/9), Biden asked for international support for Ukraine.
“Russia believes the world will grow tired of it and will let it persecute Ukraine without any consequences. But I ask you: If we ignore the core principles of the UN Charter to allow the aggressor to commit violations, can member states feel confident they are protected? “If we allow Ukraine to be divided, can the independence of other countries be guaranteed?” he said.
This is Biden’s second year raising support for Ukraine before the world organization. However, amid concerns from Southern countries – as developing countries are known – that the Ukraine issue dominated the annual session to the expense of other issues, Biden only touched on the issue of the Russian invasion towards the end of his speech.
Although a majority of countries supported a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, many countries are increasingly concerned about the war’s impact on global energy and food prices. There are now growing calls from Southern countries for Moscow and Kyiv to speed up peace talks.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva said, “I have reiterated that there needs to be an effort to create space for negotiations. Much was invested in armaments and very little in development. Last year, military spending totaled more than $2 trillion.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenkyy made his own appeal to the assembly, in his first in-person appearance at the UN General Assembly since the invasion.
“Russia is using food prices as a weapon. The impact is widespread, from the Atlantic coast of Africa to Southeast Asia. And this is the scale of the threat. And I want to thank the leaders who support Ukraine’s Black Sea Grains Initiative and program,” Zelenskyy said.
With the leaders of China, France, Russia and Britain absent, Biden was the only leader of a permanent member of the UN Security Council to attend the annual session.
Biden outlined US efforts to mobilize resources for global infrastructure projects, reform international institutions to be more inclusive, and address other global challenges.
“Record-breaking heat waves in the US and China, forest fires ravaged North America and southern Europe. Drought in the Horn of Africa for the fifth time in five years. The tragic floods in Libya that killed thousands of people – my condolences. “Taken together, these images tell an important story about what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and make our world climate resilient,” he added.
Activists say more needs to be done, with thousands of them demonstrating outside the UN headquarters in New York to demand the Biden administration halt new fossil fuel projects. (rd/hour)
