New Delhi: As fighting in Ukraine escalated for the fifth day, UN Member States met on Monday (February 28, 2022) for a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly to discuss the crisis.
Addressing the UN membership, Secretary-General António Guterres said that the fighting in Ukraine must stop.
Guterres stated that although Russian strikes are reportedly largely targeting Ukrainian military facilities, "we have credible accounts of residential buildings, critical civilian infrastructure and other non-military targets sustaining heavy damage."
"Enough is enough," the UN Secretary-General said and added that “soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld.”
Chilling development
António Guterres also reacted to President Vladimir Putin putting Russia`s nuclear deterrent on high alert on Sunday and called it a chilling development.
Soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected.
The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, must be respected. pic.twitter.com/3OGoiAqSnR
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 28, 2022
"Yesterday, Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert. This is a chilling development. The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable. Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons," he said.
International peace at stake
Ukraine's Ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya told the General Assembly that for the first time since the United Nations was established, a full-fledged war was unfolding in the centre of Europe.
“If Ukraine does not survive, international peace will not survive,” he said and added that "now is the time to help his country".
#UNGA observes a minute of silence during Emergency Special Session on Ukraine.
"The General Assembly represents the collective conscience of humanity," said @UN_PGA. https://t.co/AglnCSHQsO pic.twitter.com/MuuALXUr8O
— United Nations (@UN) February 28, 2022
“If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive, have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next,” Sergiy Kyslytsya said.
Russian actions ‘distorted’
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said that the actions of his country are being “distorted and thwarted”, with media and social networks proliferating what he called “these lies”.
He highlighted that goal of the special Russian military operation is to protect people in Luhansk and Donetsk, two regions in eastern Ukraine, “who for eight years were subject to torment and genocide by the Kyiv regime.”
“To that end, there is a need to demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine,” Vasily Nebenzya stated.
