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United Nations, April 25 (AP) — The U.N. secretary-general and representatives from Western nations rebuked Russia’s top diplomat as he chaired a U.N. meeting on Monday, accusing Moscow of violating the U.N. Charter by attacking Ukraine and occupying parts of its territory.
Russia’s foreign minister responded by defending Russia’s military actions and accusing the United States and its allies of undermining the global diplomacy that underpins the United Nations created to prevent World War III.
Calling cooperation among the UN’s 193 member states the “beating heart” and “guiding vision” of the organization, Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council that global cooperation was under the greatest strain since the UN was founded in 1945. ash.
Tensions between major powers are at “record highs,” as is the risk of conflict “by accident or miscalculation,” he said, starting with the war in Ukraine.
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The UN Secretary-General and ambassadors from the US, UK, France and their allies pointed to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, which require all nations to support each nation’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence – a violation by Russia’s encroachment on its smaller nations This principle became a neighbor on February 24, 2022 and illegally annexed several regions.
Russia convened a ministerial meeting to discuss how to make “multilateralism” – countries working together – more effective by defending the UN Charter, which it said was the culmination of its month-long presidency of the Security Council.
Monday’s meeting intensified the antagonism in what has been the most contentious presidency in living memory for a long-term U.N. diplomat and official.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia a “hypocritical convener” of the meeting whose “illegal, unprovoked and unnecessary” war in Ukraine “touches the UN Charter and everything we hold dear Core.”
Barbara Woodward, Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the world had seen “what Russia’s idea of multilateralism meant to the world” — a trampling of the U.N. Charter and a war that brought unimaginable suffering to Ukraine, “to Russia.” It’s a total disaster.” “
The 27-member EU called Russia’s attempt to portray itself as a defender of the UN Charter and multilateralism “cynical”, saying it “contempt” not only of the UN Charter but also of a UN General Assembly resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended what Moscow called a “special military operation”, reiterating accusations that Ukraine was promoting “Nazi practices” and banning Russian language and culture, just as NATO was planning to expand into Ukraine.
He stressed, however, that “it’s not just about Ukraine,” but what he called a Western plan to use the Ukrainian government to weaken Russia.
“We cannot think about Ukraine out of the geopolitical context,” Lavrov said.
“It’s about how to continue to shape international relations by building a good consensus based on a balance of interests, or by advancing aggressively and turbulently through Washington’s hegemony.”
Lavrov strongly criticized the activities of NATO members in the Western Pacific, especially the alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the strengthening of US relations with Japan, South Korea and some Southeast Asian countries.
The Russian minister stressed that multilateralism is an important part of the UN Charter and accused the United States and its allies of “undermining globalization” despite touting its benefits.
Lavrov said the West was pushing for a “rules-based order” in which no one saw the rules and banned access to modern technology and financial services to punish countries it disagreed with.
The West has imposed a series of economic sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Let’s be straight. No one in the West allows minorities in the West to speak for all of humanity,” he said.
US Ambassador Thomas Greenfield told the Security Council that Russia’s actions during the 14-month war showed that the invasion of Ukraine was not an isolated incident.
“It’s not just about Ukraine or Europe,” she said.
“This concerns all of us. Because today it is Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be another country, another small country invaded by a bigger neighbor.” (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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