At the UN, Ukrainian President gives reasons to end conflict with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his first live address to the United Nations General Assembly since the conflict with Russia broke out to make it “very clear” that Ukraine needs support. However, the speech is unlikely to sway the views of countries that remain neutral.

Speaking from UN headquarters in New York after the 78th UN General Assembly High-Level Week opened, Mr Zelensky called on world leaders to show unity in the face of “Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine”, and that Moscow must be pushed back so the world can move on to addressing pressing global challenges.

Prioritised by UN members, Mr. Zelensky was the 12th world leader to speak on September 19. He finally took the stage after more than five hours of speeches by nine presidents, the King of Jordan and the Emir of Qatar.

The Ukrainian president's speech marked a departure from his pre-recorded speech at the same global summit last year, when he stayed in the capital Kiev to highlight Ukraine's resistance.

A shift in diplomatic approach

Mr Zelensky’s presence this time has demonstrated a more direct diplomatic approach by Ukraine with allies, partners and other major countries around the world, such as India and Brazil – countries that have largely remained on the sidelines of the conflict.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from UN headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, said Zelensky used his speech to the General Assembly to make it “very clear” that Ukraine needed support. However, the speech was unlikely to sway the views of countries that remained neutral, Al Jazeera’s correspondent said.

“In some Southern Hemisphere countries, there is also public discontent about the amount of time the UN spends on Ukraine, which they believe is to the detriment of the issues facing the Southern Hemisphere,” added reporter Mike Hanna.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 19, 2023. Photo: The Guardian

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine clearly dominated the first day of the High-Level Debate at the UN General Assembly, with several world leaders pledging continued support for Kiev.

The US and its allies have provided billions of dollars worth of humanitarian and security aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its military campaign in the Eastern European country last February.

But in his speech at the United Nations on September 19, US President Joe Biden spent very little time talking about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the challenges facing the Eastern European country – a far cry from his speech last year.

“Only Russia has the ability to end this war immediately, and it is Russia that is standing in the way of peace,” Biden said, blaming Moscow for the war.

“If we allow Ukraine to be divided, is the security of any country guaranteed?” the US leader added, drawing the first round of applause from the General Assembly.

As Mr Biden spoke, Russia's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya was seen scrolling through his phone, while Mr Zelensky, sitting next to a delegation of senior Ukrainian officials, welcomed the US president's comments.

While Mr Biden addressed the UN General Assembly, Russia's UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, was seen scrolling through his phone. Photo: The Guardian

During the Summit, President Zelensky is also expected to address the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Ukraine on September 20. Previously, in his speech on September 19, Mr. Zelensky said he planned to bring the Ukraine peace plan – which has been approved by most countries at the UN – to the meeting on September 20.

It is likely to be one of the first times Ukrainian and Russian diplomats have sat down at the same table since peace talks collapsed more than 18 months ago.

Reasons to continue supporting

The Ukrainian president will then travel to Washington, DC, on September 21 to meet with President Biden. He will also visit the Capitol, where lawmakers face a September 30 deadline to pass a federal spending bill that would include additional aid to the conflict-torn European country.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters last week that he believed Mr Zelensky was “looking forward” to visiting US congressional leaders to make the case for why Washington should continue to support Kiev.

In an interview with CNN on the sidelines of a high-level event at the United Nations on September 19, Mr. Zelensky said he remained focused on purchasing more long-range missiles from the United States, arguing that such equipment was not aimed at Russia but to maintain a level of battlefield capabilities between the two sides.

“It would be a loss for us” if the weapons were not supplied, Mr Zelensky said, adding that it would lead to “more casualties on the battlefield and elsewhere”.

Biden is expected to make a final decision soon on whether to send the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine, CNN reported earlier this month.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on September 19 that Ukraine is in dire need of air defense systems, including ammunition and spare parts.

Mr Stoltenberg said the conflict was a “war of attrition” but not a stalemate, citing gains Ukraine had made after a counter-offensive that began in early June to try to retake territory from Russian forces.

“If we want to end the war, if we want a just and lasting peace, then military support for Ukraine is the right path,” Stoltenberg said. “Ukraine needs many different forms of support,” the head of the Western military alliance said.

Ahead of a high-profile event at the UN General Assembly, President Zelensky visits wounded Ukrainian soldiers being treated at Staten Island University Hospital, New York, September 18, 2023. Photo: The Sun Daily

On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin did not attend this year's event. Instead, he was represented by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov arrived in New York after an 11-hour, 40-minute flight from Moscow. His journey was prolonged because "unfriendly" countries closed their airspace to Russian flights.

Russia's top diplomat plans to hold about 20 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event. He will also meet with senior officials from international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The highlight of Lavrov's schedule will be his speech to the UN General Assembly on September 23.

The 78th UN General Assembly High-Level Week, which opened on September 19 in New York, brings together Heads of State, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers and representatives of international organizations from around the world. This is the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out that the High-Level Week is being held without health restrictions. Therefore, participants will have to attend all events in person and will not be allowed to speak via video link .

Minh Duc (According to Al Jazeera, CNN, NBC News, TASS)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/tai-lhq-tong-thong-ukraine-neu-ly-do-phai-cham-dut-xung-dot-voi-nga-a627328.html