UN says it understands ‘complaints’ but remembers Russia invaded Ukraine

UN (United Nations) Secretary-General António Guterres defended the organization over Russia’s complaints about itself and other countries. Having a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister (26) in Moscow today, Guterres emphasized that “there are many mechanisms by which complaints can be addressed”.

The Secretary-General then made a point that “it is true and clear and no argument can be changed”. “We do not have Ukrainian troops on the territory of the Russian Federation, but we have Russian troops on the territory of the Ukrainian Federation.” Shortly after, Lavrov He simply said, “I approve of that.” This Tuesday (26) the UN needs to hold a vote for the five permanent members of the Security Council to justify Russia’s right to veto appeal defended by Lavrov.

Guterres’ meeting with Lavrov takes place during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has completed two months. He is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Tuesday. They will meet for the first time since Russia started the conflict on February 24. On Thursday, the 28th, the Secretary General will meet with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

At the beginning of the meeting, Guterres stated that the UN understands the “complex situation” in Ukraine, but calls for dialogue and wants to lessen people’s suffering. “We are extremely interested in finding a way to create conditions for effective dialogue, creating conditions for a ceasefire as soon as possible, creating conditions for a peaceful solution.” He also said that he is interested in doing everything possible to end the war as soon as possible.

In a press release after the meeting, Guterres said that he went to Russia as an “ambassador of peace” and had a candid meeting with Lavrov.

He also talked about the possibility of a group between Russia, Ukraine and the UN creating “really safe” evacuation corridors, referring to the situation in Mariupol, a port city in Ukraine besieged by the Russians. Lavrov said that possible actions were discussed to strengthen cooperation between Russia and the UN on humanitarian corridors.

The Russian minister also said that the situation around Ukraine has catalyzed the problems that have accumulated over the past decade in the “Euro-Atlantic region”. “It accumulates massively and is the result of the path taken by our American colleagues and allies towards unlimited NATO expansion. [Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte].” Yesterday, Lavrov He said that the risk of nuclear conflict cannot be underestimated.

“The West’s Crime”

Anatoly Antonov, the Russian Ambassador to the United States, said that “the Ukraine conflict was deliberately provoked by the West.” Antonov’s analysis was made late last night (25), the day that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he wanted to “see Russia weakened to a level that it cannot do what it did by invading Ukraine.” Following Austin’s visit to Kyiv, the US government pledged funds for Ukraine’s arms purchase.

Today (26) Austin is meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg within the Ukraine Security Advisory Group.

The meeting, to be held at an American airbase in Germany, is hosted by Austin and will focus on “the crisis in Ukraine and security issues related to allies and partners,” according to NATO. Defense representatives from around 40 countries are also participating. Germany has already promised to allow the delivery of tanks to Ukraine.

At the meeting, Austin said he was confident that Ukraine could defeat Russia in the conflict. “Your resistance has inspired the free world,” Austin said, describing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “undefensible.” “Ukraine clearly believes it can win, and everyone here also believes it,” he said. At the meeting, a promise was made to procure the heavy weapons that Ukraine needed to achieve victory.

On Tuesday, the war entered its 62nd day with new attacks recorded in Ukraine. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it carried out “1,299 fire missions during the day” and that 500 Ukrainian soldiers were killed. For its part, the Ukrainian ministry reported that Russian forces continue to “partially blockade the city of Kharkov”, the country’s second largest city, and that Ukrainian resistance continues to hold the siege at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, where at least 35 soldiers are located. attacks. At least nine people were killed in bomb attacks in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Today, the UN stated that due to the war, the number of Ukrainian refugees could reach 8.3 million, more than double what was envisaged at the beginning of the conflict. Currently, the organization counts 5.2 million people have already left the country.

“Behind”

Russia’s ambassador to the United States says that “behind” the US government’s financial contributions to support Ukraine’s defense is the “desire to continue the conflict” in order to “do maximum damage to Russia and fight against Russia in whatever form”. He said he believed. the last Ukrainian.” “The US wants to maintain its focus on instability in Europe.”

According to Antonov, the Americans want “to rally Western allies around them in order to maintain the US position on the world stage”. “But the world is heading towards multipolarity. This fact cannot be ignored.”

For this reason, he said that Ukraine was being used as a “military ram” against the Russians, saying he believed the conflict was provoked by the West. “Russia cannot kneel. Western fictitious projects are a thing of the past. It’s time to understand this and respect Russian national interests.”

Antonov reinforced the Russian speech by saying that the war that Putin promoted was “not against the Ukrainians” but was aimed at “protecting” the separatist regions of the east, its neutral and nuclear-free state, and the disarmament of Ukraine. “For our national security, it is important to eliminate the threats emanating from the territory of Ukraine, since they are developed by NATO. The tasks that come before us will be fully fulfilled.”

The United States, France, the Czech Republic and other allies are sending dozens of long-range shells to help Ukraine stop its escalating offensive in the east.

missiles

Two cruise missiles launched by the Russian military flew over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine on Tuesday. According to Petro Kotin, CEO of Energoatom, the state-owned company that operates Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, low-altitude missile flights “carry great risks.”

“Missiles may hit one or more nuclear facilities, it is a nuclear and radioactive disaster threat to the whole world,” he said.

The Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant is the main power plant in Ukraine and has six reactors (40% of the 15 reactors used in the country). In March, the factory was the scene of clashes between Moscow and Kyiv troops, raising fears of a possible nuclear disaster at rates greater than Chernobyl, which turns 36 today.

Bomb attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday killed at least one person and injured another, according to the district administration. “Two missiles hit the area where one of the municipal companies was located. The third exploded in the air.”

veto in the UN

This Tuesday (26), the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution compelling the five permanent members of the Security Council to justify their veto objection, a reform that was resumed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The measure, which directly affected the five countries with veto power – China, the USA, France, Great Britain and Russia – was supported by Liechtenstein. About 60 countries, including the United States, support Liechtenstein’s initiative – surprising the UN and its closest allies. Britain and France are expected to vote in favor of reform, but have chosen not to co-sponsor. Russia and China did not disclose their positions, but they are not among the sponsors of the text.

The bill “creates a new procedure”, argues Liechtenstein ambassador Christian Wenaweser, who assures the measure “is not against anyone”. “It’s not aimed at Russia,” he insists, even though the proposed vote, after more than two years of unsuccessful rule, coincided with the Security Council’s decision to halt the Russian invasion because of Moscow’s veto power. international mobilization

Since the Soviet Union first used its veto power over a dispute between Syria and Lebanon in 1946, Moscow has used the measure 143 times, ahead of the United States (86), the United Kingdom (30), and China and France (18 times). . each one).

(with Ansa, Reuters and AFP)