World leaders speaking on the opening day of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, among other pressing global issues.
Here is a selection of what was said.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres – Energy and human rights concerns
Guterres’s speech touched on the dire energy and human rights situation in Ukraine.
“The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that intense fighting continues to impact civilians and cause damage to energy infrastructure across Ukraine. Over the last two days, attacks in Zaporizhzhia City resulted in nearly 30 civilian casualties, including several children [...]
“OCHA says that earlier today, another attack in Kharkiv City damaged more apartment blocks, killing and injuring civilians, as reported by our partners on the ground.
“In the war-torn Donetsk and Kherson regions, authorities and aid workers reported scores of civilian casualties, including several children, as well as damage to homes, a health facility, an ambulance, a gas pipeline, and a coal mine yesterday and today,” Guterres said.
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Guterres said that Ukraine’s energy forecast is pessimistic as winter looms over the horizon.
“In central Ukraine, authorities said that attacks left around 20 towns and villages in the Poltava Region without electricity with the colder autumn season starting.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry says that as of Sept. 24, more than 530 towns and villages across Ukraine were either fully or partially without electricity due to ongoing hostilities and technical issues,” he added
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – ‘War extending without any prospect of peace’
Lula said that conflicts are growing worldwide and, “with regret” that the war in Ukraine continues, before adding that though Brazil condemns Russia’s invasion, he believed neither Kyiv nor Moscow “will be able to achieve all their objectives through military means.”
Lula then renewed calls to support Brazil and China’s peace proposal, which would see Ukraine exchanging sovereignty of its territories in exchange for a ceasefire, a clause Kyiv maintained to be a non-starter.
“In Ukraine, with regret, we are seeing the war extending without any prospect of peace. Brazil has firmly condemned the invasion of Ukrainian territory,” Lula said. “It is already clear that neither side will be able to achieve all their objectives through military means. The use of increasingly destructive weapons brings to mind the darkest days of this Cold War confrontation.”
“This is a message of the six points of understanding that China and Brazil offer for a process of dialogue to be established and for the hostilities to end,” Lula added.
US President Joe Biden – ‘Ensure the survival of Ukraine as a free nation’
Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine during his last speech as the US president at the UN General Assembly.
He said the US “defended the UN Charter” to “ensure the survival of Ukraine.” He said the US “has made a commitment to the principles of the UN Charter to stand up against aggression when Russia invaded Ukraine,” adding that instead of standing by idly, he and US Vice President Kamala Harris “understood that that was an assault on everything this institution was supposed to stand for.”
He called on the world to sustain its support for Ukraine.
Biden’s speech was covered in a Tuesday Kyiv Post report.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – ‘Space for diplomacy is shrinking’
Erdoğan said Turkey continues to support “diplomacy and dialogue” to “ensure territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine” without further elaboration in his speech.
“The war in Ukraine has been going on for three years and we are still away from establishing a permanent peace and stability. As the arms race accelerates, the space for diplomacy is shrinking.
“It’s very important that diplomacy and dialogue will ensure territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and our support for those endeavors will continue even strongly,” said Erdoğan.
On the outskirts of the UN meeting, Erdogan said that Turkey’s relationship with Russia is “expanding.”
Swiss President Viola Amherd – ‘Comprehensive, fair and lasting peace in Ukraine’
Switzerland, which hosted Ukraine’s peace conference this summer, said its goal was to “give an initial push for a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace in Ukraine” before calling for fellow member states to join its efforts.
“Switzerland this summer brought together about a hundred countries and international organizations during the high-level conference for peace in Ukraine.
“Our aim was to give an initial push for a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace in Ukraine based on international law and the UN Charter.
“We would like to reiterate our invitation to the international community to spare no effort to support concrete measures and the joint communique,” said Amherd.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – ‘We exert every effort to bring peace’
Ramaphosa mentioned Ukraine in passing while calling for fellow member states to bring peace to conflicts worldwide. After that, he called for a more representative and inclusive Security Council, saying that Africa and its 1.4 billion people remain excluded from its key decision-making structures.
“Africa stands ready to play its role in building a safer global order by participating in the work of the UN Security Council on the basis of respect and acceptance,” he said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda – ‘Ukraine is fighting for us all’
Nausėda’s speech echoed his country’s longstanding support for Ukraine and heavily criticized Russia’s invasion. Nausėda also called for the world to support Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty.
Nausėda said that Ukraine is not only fighting for its own survival but also defending the principles of the UN Charter and the future of all nations that uphold these values.
“Ukraine is fighting for us all, and yet our joint collective response to this day has been insufficient – we have not been able to stop this madness,” he said.
Nausėda described Russia’s invasion as the “most dangerous threat” to the international order amidst a growing number of global conflicts and criticized Russia’s ability to abuse its veto power at the UN Security Council. He then called for comprehensive reforms to the Security Council, saying that Russia’s actions have severely damaged the credibility of the UN system.
Nausėda also called on countries like Belarus, Iran, North Korea, and China to stop providing military support to Russia and advocated for Ukraine’s Peace Formula, which he called the only path to a just and lasting peace.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić – Double standard claims
Vučić reiterated Serbia’s support for Ukrainian territorial integrity and said his country “did not question it for a moment” before saying that Serbia was treated differently upon the collapse of Yugoslavia.
He said the Charter and Council resolution 1244 (1999) were not observed when it came to the territorial integrity of Serbia and opposed foreign support for Kosovo and Metohija, two de facto independent states over which Serbia maintains sovereignty claims.
“How can we fight? Because everybody speaks about Ukraine, [but] no one dares to speak about Serbia. And even if they do, they say how we will start the war upon the Russian order,” said Vučić before reiterating his country’s neutrality, saying that it sided neither with Russia nor the US.
Vučić also said the Serbian people “share the grief” for the “tragic events in the Middle East and Ukraine.”
Angolan President João Lourenço – ‘No military victory in sight’
Lourenço said the war in Ukraine has a profound impact on the economic stability, as well as food and energy security, around the world and called it a “disturbing” escalation of the war.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine has seriously and profoundly shaken stability and security in Europe, with strong repercussions for the rest of the world in terms of economic stability and food and energy security,” said Lourenço.
“Although increasingly sophisticated military and other means are being deployed in the theater of operations, no military victory is in sight in this war, which has a tendency to spread to the rest of Europe, unless a negotiated solution is found, based on respect for the principles of the UN, which safeguard the sovereignty of states and the indivisibility and territorial integrity of countries,” he added.
Argentinian President Javier Milei – UN ‘powerless’ to prevent Russia’s invasion
Milei has criticized the UN’s failure to protect the interests of all nations, which allowed Russia to launch an “aberrant invasion” against Ukraine that “has cost the lives of more than 300,000 people and left behind more than 1 million wounded.”
He added that the Security Council has been “used in the defense of the specific interests of a certain few,” leaving behind “a powerless organization, powerless to provide solutions to the true global conflicts.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian – Maintaining innocence
Pezeshkian claimed he wanted “peace for all” and that his country “opposes war” when it comes to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity for others. We want peace for all and seek no war or quarrel with anyone.
“We seek lasting peace for the people of Ukraine and Russia. The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes war and emphasizes the urgent need to end military hostilities in Ukraine,” said Pezeshkian.
“We support all peaceful solutions and believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve this crisis,” he added.
Iran supplied the Shahed drones Russia used daily to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, with recent reports that it also applied Moscow with short-range missiles to be used against Ukraine.
Estonian President Alar Karis – Russia’s invasion ‘clear as black and white’
Karis voiced his country’s support for Ukraine and said Russia’s invasion has caused “inhumane suffering” before saying that calling for peace talks with Russia is only supporting the Kremlin’s cause.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine is as clear as black and white. Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim,” Karis said.
He criticized calls for Ukraine and Russia to engage in peace talks when Russia is the aggressor, saying they are “not going to call Russia for a coffee.”
Instead, he called on countries to accept Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula, saying that Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty must be restored.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs – ‘No compromise’ on Ukraine’s sovereignty
Rinkēvičs also reiterated his country’s support for Ukraine and called on fellow UN member states to do the same as “Russia tries to rearrange the international system that only benefits aggressors,” noting his country’s 50 years of occupation under the USSR by Moscow’s orders.
He reiterated calls for an immediate, unconditional withdrawal of all Russian troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and urged the UN to take a firmer stance against Russia’s illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
He also said that there are “widespread consequences” from Russia’s invasion, including impacts on global food security, nuclear safety, and humanitarian situations beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“We continue to call for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.
“There can be no compromise regarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Rinkēvičs said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda – Russia’s invasion ‘flagrant violation of fundamental norms of international law’
Duda warned of the lasting consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that the war has been destabilizing his region and posing a direct threat to global security, and that the invasion could set a bad precedence for others to follow suit if not stopped promptly.
“[Russia’s invasion] is a flagrant violation of fundamental norms of international law, such as the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. This unprovoked aggression is destabilizing the region and posing a direct threat to the global order and security.”
“We cannot allow this war to turn into another frozen conflict. This is the most important task for the future,” Duda said.
“That is why it is so important today to stop the Russian war in Ukraine. Not only to end the suffering of the people and punish the aggressor, but also to prevent such heinous actions from becoming a model for others to follow,” he added.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – ‘No one is above the law’
Meloni said Ukraine has a right to defend itself and that Russia’s invasion has had a domino effect, with its “destabilizing effects” spreading well beyond Ukraine’s borders.
She likened Russia’s invasion to a “wound to the international framework founded on rules” and that the spilled-over effects could “ignite” other crises worldwide.
Meloni also questioned Russia’s status as a permanent member of the Security Council and called on the world to support Ukraine’s right to defend its borders, sovereignty and freedom.
“No one is above the law,” she added.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo – ‘The aggressor shall not win’
De Croo said ending the war in Ukraine is ultimately Putin’s decision, and that only he can end the attacks on Ukraine.
“Vladimir Putin has been waging war in Europe for more than two years now. And there is one simple truth: He can stop the illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine right now,” he said.
“Only he can end the shelling, the bombing, the indiscriminate attacks on bridges, roads and energy infrastructure, hospitals, schools and people’s houses. Widespread and disturbing brutality has been established by various Independent International Inquiries,” he added.
De Croo also said that Belgium has contributed to Ukraine in the forms of both military and humanitarian aid – including “all [its] fighter jets as they leave the Belgian Air Force.”
“We want to help protect the people of Ukraine. The aggressor shall not win,” De Croo said.
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