tv Secretary of State Speaks at U.N. Security Council Meeting on Ukraine CSPAN February 26, 2023 9:37pm-10:59pm EST
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antony blinken participated in a united nations security council meeting about the ongoing war in ukraine marking the one-year anniversary of russia's invasion of the country. this is about an hour and 20 minutes. >> this meeting of the security council's called to order. the provision of the agenda for
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this meeting is maintenance of fees and security of ukraine. the representative of the russian federation has asked to make a statement. >> mr. president i would like to say a few words regarding a point of order, we would like to ask you to clarify what is the basis that you are proposing to give the floor to the administrators of the ukraine and give them the floor before the members of the council speak. we have nothing against his statement but the council has its rules which were established long before malta became
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president, became a member rather of the security council and mr. president, you could at least provide an answer to my question. thank you. ith an answer. thank you. >> >> i take note of the points raised by the representative of the russian federation, this debate is being held on the one-year anniversary since the beginning of the war in ukraine. the presidency sees value in allowing ukraine's foreign minister to take the floor before all the other members of council on this occasion. the representative of the russian federalization has the floor to make a statement. >> mr. president i would like to warn you that the moment you put
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the gavel down thus formalizing your -- you will create an egregious president -- precedent or representatives of ukraine are given the kind of privilege that is denied to the representative of others and let me give you a specific example from recent practice. the meeting on -- on the first of february of this year. the minister of foreign affairs spoke after members of the council on the 27th of february, we had a meeting in the minister of foreign affairs of that country also took the floor after members of the council on the 11th of january we had a meeting on columbia in the vice president of columbia -- not the minister but the vice president spoke after members of the council. on the 24th of january of this year we had a meeting on haiti
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and the minister of foreign affairs of the dominican republic took the floor after all members of the council have spoken. and he also spoke after all security council meetings members at the meeting of haiti later in the year, i can continue on with the list. if we are talking about precedent, mr. -- took the floor and he took -- spoke after all the members of the council. there has not been a single proposal from western delegation to give the floor to representatives from africa, latin america or any other countries other than ukraine to give them the floor at meetings which directly affects them. that they speak before members of the council. can you see what your decision to provide them with a premature right to speak at the beginning of the meeting in the eyes of
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the world, once again, we have nothing against a statement that will be made and we are happy to listen to it but this has been done strictly in line with the practice we have when the delegation under rule 37 speak after the members of the council. what we are witnessing today is yet another attempt to give certain rights to a group of the country where you as a representative of the golden billion give preference to ukraine. just because she is a part of your geopolitical project, it turns out it would seem the problems of the rest of the world are no concern to you. the same applies to the unprecedented number of delegations invited today under rule 37. 12 new countries in addition to the high representatives, it is clear that all of these countries who have the same eat you position dictated from brussels will bring in no added
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value to the discussion. no added value. such an approach devalues the value of the discussion and strikes against the reputation of the council. our british colleagues have already joined history as a bad face president of the council when they rejected our request for a special emergency session of the council which was unprecedented. we regret the fact that the maltese presidency time and time again ignored the rules of procedure of the council and sauce placed its own national position, the position of view above its responsibility of presidency. presidency which is supposed to make sure procedures are upheld and are impartial, we must acknowledge that malta is not carrying out this task. this confirms to us in our opinion that there is no added value to expand the council with western countries, because you
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are turning the council into your own instrument. i think you. >> once again i take note of the points raised. by the representative of the russian federation. may i also remind that for instance the foreign minister of serbia at spoke before the security council members at least twice. in the last two meetings and with regard to the list of speakers on the rule 37, the presidency took note of the fact that all these requests came from foreign ministers who took the time to travel to new york to be at the united nations on this anniversary. this clearly indicates that they feel that their countries have been and are still being directly impacted by this war.
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the agenda is adopted. i would like to welcome the secretary-general and the distinguished ministers and other high-level representatives , your presence today underscores the importance of the subject matter under discussion. in accordance with rule 37 of the councils provision or rules of procedure i invite the representatives of croatia, czech, estonia, germany, hungary, latvia, netherlands, macedonia, poland, republic of moldova, romania, slovakia, spain and ukraine to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. in accordance with rule 39 of the councils per visionary rules
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of procedures i invite his excellency a representative of the european union it for foreign affairs and security policy to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. the security council will now begin its consideration of item two of the agenda. i now give the floor to secretary-general and his excellency mr. antonio guterres. >> the purposes and principles embedded in the united nations charter are not a matter of convenience. they are not merely words on paper they are at the core of what we are. and they reflect the driving mission of our united nations. they exist precisely to address any grievance, whatever it may be.
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a year ago i sat in this council and urged, and quote in the name of humanity we do not allow to start in europe what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century with consequences not only devastating for ukraine, not only tragic for the russian federation, but an impact we cannot even foresee. and consequences for the global economy. end of quote. i said then that we must give peace a chance but peace has had no chance. war has ruled the day. the russian invasion of ukraine is a violation of the united nations charter and international law. because at least -- it leads to widespread death, destruction and displacement. attacks on civilians and civilian structures has cosmetic casualties and terrible suffering. the office of the high
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commissioner for human rights has documented thousands of cases of conflict related sexual violence against men, women and girls. in serious violations of human rights law against prisoners of war and detentions of civilians were also documented. mr. president, life is a living hell for the people of ukraine. an estimated 17 point 6 billion people, nearly 40% of the population of ukraine, required humanitarian assistance and protection. the crisis, 50% of jobs. estimates say nearly 40% of ukrainians are unable to afford enough food. the war has sparked a displacement crisis not seen in europe in decades. more than 8 million ukrainian refugees have been recorded across europe, in addition to an estimated 5.4 million who have
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been internally displaced. more than ells, ukrainian children have been forced from their homes and separated children facing grace risks of violence, abuse and exploitation. the infrastructure is under fire, energy and heating systems have been destroyed in a freezing winter. the global organization has provided over -- and more than 3000 schools and colleges have been damages or destroyed. millions of students have had their education severely disrupted. that is measurable but not as important as the devastating impact of months of displacement and bombardment on the mental health of ukrainians. nearly 10 million people including 7.8 million children are at risk of posttraumatic stress disorder. make no mistake, russian federation is also suffering the deadly consequences.
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mr. president we need peace, peace in line with the united nations charter and international law. as we work with -- for peace we will continue calling for action on many fronts. protection of civilians must remain at top priority. attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop. the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects and populated areas and towns, cities and villages must end. -- humanitarian access for lifesaving assistance must be insured. we must also invest in ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. at the request of the ukrainian government and on behalf of the united nations system, the united nations development program is co-leading an assessment of damage to energy infrastructure jointly with the world bank. mr. president, since the start
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of the war the international atomic energy agency has supported ukraine to ensure the safety and security of its 15 operating reactors and four nuclear plants including europe's largest nuclear power plant. we continue to urge all parties to swiftly agree and implement a nuclear safety and security protection zone at the separation nuclear power plant to avoid a serious accident with potentially disastrous consequences. early veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in the context of the conflict have spiked nuclear risks to levels not seen since the darkest days of the cold war. these threats are unacceptable. >> progress continues to be made and agreements brokered by the united nations and the government, more than 20 million -- have now been safely reconnected to global supply chains on more than 700 ships,
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helping to bring down prices around the world. i want to underscore the importance of all parties remaining engaged in this initiative and calls to be extended beyond march 2020 three. the united nations is firmly committed to working to remove remaining obstacles to russian -- exports including ammonia. these exports are essential to our efforts to bring down prices and reduce food insecurity. those members demonstrated that cooperation is essential, even in the midst of conflict. mr. president over the past years this council has held more than 40 debates on ukraine. they are talking now but in the end we all know the best the diplomacy and accountability is the road to sustainable peace. this in line with u.n. charter's , international law and
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yesterday's resolution at the general assembly, we must prevent further escalation, we must all encourage every meaningful effort to end the bloodshed and at long last give peace a chance. thank you. >> i think the secretary-general for his briefing and i now give the floor to his excellency minister of foreign affairs of ukraine. >> mr. president, distinguished members of the security council. secretary-general. first i would like to thank the presidency of malta for convening this important meeting. the general assembly has just passed a resolution on the principles of comprehensive, just and lasting peace in ukraine. 141 member states took the side of the u.n. charter while seven took the side of russia.
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no additional explanations are required here. the resolution follows the logic of president zelenskyy's peace formula. the goal of the stand point plan is to restore respect for ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity within its international recognized borders. in full compliance with the u.n. charter that we all have committed to respect and uphold. to make it short, the goal of the plan is to get russia out of ukraine and make the world a safer place. obviously, any new peace proposals should now be aligned with demands set forth by the resolution. we want all countries from every corner of the world to facilitate implementation of the resolution and the peace formula. we need to act jointly and quickly. to ensure nuclear safety and security by forcing russia to withdraw from the illegally
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occupied nuclear power plant and stopping missile attacks that endanger nuclear power plant's across the territory of ukraine. to avoid this threat of hunger, by -- the black sea to green initiative and countering russian efforts to undermine it as well as developing our grain from ukraine initiative. to prevent an energy crisis which will require the -- of against critical infrastructure of ukraine. to protect the environment as russian shelling that earned million of hectares of ukrainian force threatened our efforts to counter global warming. first and foremost, people must be saved. their lives and their rights are at the center of our struggle for peace. the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis brought on by russia's aggression against ukraine cannot be overstated.
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i would like to highlight here one of numerous facts. russia is now implementing in ukraine probably the largest instance of state-sponsored kidnapping of children in history. dear members of this council, ukraine will resist as it has done so far. and ukraine will win. putin is going to lose much sooner than he thinks. here is what russian officials and servicemen have to know, you think you would get away with what you did? no. you'll end up on trial. you will be testifying how strongly we were opposed to the aggression and how you just followed ordered. you think the world will get tired of supporting ukraine, the support will only get stronger.
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you think ukraine will eventually tire of defending itself. the more and longer you keep track -- attacking ukraine the more resolved we will have in the more humiliating your defeat will be. dear colleagues, russian propaganda has pushed this hypocritical narrative. the ukraine indeed needs weapons just as a firefighter needs water to extinguish a fire. the fire that is destroying your home and killing innocent people. the sooner and the more we get the sooner the fire will be extinguished. arming a country that defends itself from the aggression is legitimate and is an act of defending the u.n. charter. on the contrary helping an aggressor is illegitimate and defies the charter. any supply of weapons or
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military equipment to russia means complicity in the trampling of the u.n. charter. if you give weapons to russia you commit a crime. in the short term ukraine needs to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its international recognized borders. and in the long run justice must be served. the nuremberg international military tribunals view to -- verdict was crystal clear a war of aggression is not only a war crime it is the supreme international crime distinguishing itself from other war crimes only in that it contains an accumulated -- of the whole. this is why we call for the establishment of the special tribunal with specific jurisdiction over the crime of aggression against ukraine and the ability to deal with personal immunities of perpetrators of this crime. the job of -- against
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international peace and security's far beyond the borders of ukraine. it reaches africa, asia, and the middle east. russia at only incites conflict but also systemically obstructs un security council decisions needed to resolve them. today russia argued that this council is overly focused on ukraine and ignores problems of the rest of the world. let us all remember the >> let's remember the truth, russia is the problem of the world. i open u.n. charter in front of me, and i did not see the words member states cannot attack other member states i do not see violating the borders is allowed, and i do not see the words the russian federation u.n. charter on permanency -- security council members.
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in 1991, russia usurped the ussr permit councilmembers seat in turned it into the throne of impunity. the future of russia should be determined in the context of the legitimate change of place from ussr in russia in 1991, and responsibility for crimes committed on the territory of ukraine. including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. i say it again and again, peace means justice. all the peaceloving nations will win peace on the battlefield and at the diplomatic tables. finally, on this tragic day, when we mourn life and destiny is broken by russia, i kindly
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ask everyone to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the aggression. i think you mr. president. >> representatives of the russian federation is going to make a statement. [foreign language] >> we are all victims of what happened in ukraine, starting in 2014. all those who perished, all lives are priceless, and that is why we are rising to honor the memory of them all.
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>> i think his excellency for his statement. i shall now make a statement in my capacity as minister for foreign and european of malta. i begin thinking secretary-general for his briefing and to the minister for his statement. we have convened to mark one year since the russian federation launched its aggression against ukraine. this brutal, unprovoked and unjustified war is a blatant violation of the u.n. charter and international law. it brought immense suffering, destruction and misery on ukraine and its population.
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the war is a stain on the very principles that we are bound to uphold. it is also compounded the global food and energy prices. -- energy crisis, further adding to the already humanitarian situations experienced by vulnerable countries and populations around the globe. at the outset, i read rate -- reiterate every state has the sovereign right to self-determination, including the choice of its own destiny in order to ensure its safety and security. over the past 12 months, ukrainians have shown incredible courage and resilience by defending not only the right to exist in the face of a brutal military aggression, but the values and principles underpinning the international rules-based order. over the past year, various
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international mechanisms provided evidence of indiscriminate killings of civilians. attacks on civilian infrastructure, torture, and other forms of cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. sexual and gender-based violence, abductions and forcible deportation of children. such actions constitute serious violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law. they are a great breach of the fourth geneva convention. these children must be returned to their families or legal guardians without delay. the tragic impact of the process and deportations on ukrainian children will be felt for generations to come. we must redouble our efforts to ensure accountability for violations of the u.n. charter
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and international law. including international humanitarian law and human rights law. this must include justice for victims of atrocity crimes and sexual violence. perpetrators must be brought to justice and account without delay. we welcome the important work being carried out by the independent international commission on inquiry of ukraine. we affirm our support for the mechanisms that are working in this fight against impunity. we stand with the prosecutor of the criminal court and its investigation, and continue to add weights to accountability for the crime of aggression. we also call on the russian federation to respect the ruling of the international court of justice, ordering a suspension of military operations. on this occasion, i must express
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a deep concern with regard to nuclear safety in ukraine. shelling in and around nuclear power plants in ukraine, including the nuclear power plant. constitutes a health threat and a serious risk to international peace and security. such actions can lead to a great humanitarian and environmental capacity with long repercussions. in the context of global nonproliferation architecture and declarations by russia suggesting the possible use of nuclear weapons is justified, are unacceptable. such rhetoric only leads to uncertainty, further undermines trust between parties and only serves as a means to escalate the conflict and heightens tensions. this aggression has serious repercussions on rules-based international order we agree to.
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as members of the international community, our collective security depends on these common principles underpinned by the notion that might is not right. no state or power has to redraw borders in accordance it is full support for ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. as committed multilateral lists it is our duty to defend and , promote these principles and count on them. in closing, as a member of the security council, malta will continue to support efforts to counter russia's aggression. we also reiterate the only step to a lasting peace for russia to cease all hostilities and unconditionally withdrawal all of its forces and military equipment from the territory of
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ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. i resume my function as president of the council. i get the floor to his excellency, antony blinken, secretary of the united states of america. >> mr. president, mr. secretary-general, fellow councilmembers. one year and one week ago on february 17th, 2022, i warned this counsel that russia was planning to invade ukraine. i said russia would manufacture a pretext and use missiles, tanks, soldiers, cyber attacks to strike preidentified targets, including key, to to topple ukraine's democratically elected government. russia's representative, the
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same representative who will speak today, called these groundless accusations. seven days later, on february 24, 2022, russia launched its full-scale invasion. due to fierce resistance by ukraine defenders, president putin failed and his primary objective to conquer ukraine and and its existence as an independent country and absorb into russia. then, he dusted off his primary -- his crimea playbook called , for snap referenda in occupied parts, deported ukrainians, bust in russians, held sham votes and manipulated the results to claim support for joining the russian federation. when president putin could not break the ukrainian military, he intensified efforts to break ukrainian spirit. last year, russia killed tens of
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thousands of ukrainian men, women and children. uprooted more than 13 million people from their homes, destroyed more than half the country's energy grid, bombed more than 700 hospitals, 2600 schools and abducted at least 6000 ukrainian children some as , young as four months old and relocated them to russia. yet, the spirit of ukrainians remains unbroken. if anything, it is stronger than ever. when ukraine launched a counter offensive that retook a large swath of its territory, president putin conscripted 300,000 men, throwing it more and more of russia's young people into a meat grinder of his own making. he unleash the wagner group, mercenaries who did atrocities from africa to the middle east, and now in ukraine.
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that is not the whole story of the last year. there is the story of ukraine's people. vastly outnumbered, they fought bravely to defend their nation, their freedom, the right to determine their own future, and is a demonstrated inspiring unity helping one another endure moscow's assault. teachers and community members give classes in bunkers city workers improvise patches to restore heat, power to -- and water to residents. neighbor set up soup kitchens to feed the hungry. there is the story of how the international community has come together. the vast majority of member states have voted multiple times to condemn russians violations of u.n. charter and reject its illegal attempt to seize territory. yesterday, 141 countries voted for resolution that reaffirms the core principles of
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sovereignty, territorial integrity, denounces russia's atrocities, expresses support for a comprehensive peace in accordance with the charter. when president putin tried to weaponize hunger, exploding the worst global food crisis since the creation of u.n., the community responded swiftly. since the united states food meeting, more than one hundred countries signed onto a set of concrete commitments to alleviate hunger. thanks in large part to the secretary-general, the black sea fleet initiative loosened the stranglehold on ukraine's ports and brought down the stranglehold of grain for the world. as moscow tries to throttle its output, we have to ensure that initiative is extended and expanded. when president putin tried weaponize energy, we redirected national gas supplies so the countries russia targeted to
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could keep their people warm in the winter. europe took extraordinary steps to end its dependence on russian energy. no country has endured raider heart -- hardship then ukraine. almost every country has felt pain, and yet nations around the world continue to stand with ukraine. we all recognize if we abandon ukraine, we abandoned the u.n. charter itself and the principles and rules that make all country safer and more secure. no seizing land by force. note raising another country's borders. -- no erasing another country's borders. no targeting civilians in war. no wars of aggression. if we do not defend, we invite a world additional down that is the world thought it was great members of this counsel have a
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unique responsibility to make sure we do not return to it. we can do that in three ways. first, we must push for a just and durable peace. now i expect many countries will , call for pizza day, nobody wants peace more than ukrainian people. the u.s. has made clear, even before this war, we are prepared to engage in any meaningful diplomatic effort to stop russia's aggression against ukraine. but, history teaches us it is the nature of peace that matters. for peace to be just, it must uphold the principles of the heart of the charter, sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. for peace to be durable, it must ensure russia cannot rest, rearm and relaunch the war in a few months or years. any piece that legitimizes
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russia's seizure by land by force will we can the charter and to send a message that they can invade countries and get away with it. president zelenskyy put forward a 10 point plan for a durable peace. president putin has made clear there is nothing to talk about until ukraine accepts the new territorial realities. while doubling down on his brutal tactics. members of this counsel have a fundamental responsibility to ensure that any piece is just and durable. councilmembers should not be fooled by calls for a temporary for unconditional cease fire. russia will use any pausing fighting to consolidate control over the territories seized and replenish its forces for further attacks. that is what happened when russia's first assault froze in 2015, look at what followed. members of this counsel should
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not fall into the false equivalency of calling on both sides to stop fighting or calling on other nations to stop supporting ukraine in the name of peace. no member should call for peace while supporting russia's work -- war in ukraine and on the u.n. charter. in this war, there is an aggressor, and there is a victim. russia fights the conquest, ukraine fights for its freedom. if russia stops fighting, the war ends. if ukraine stops, ukraine and is. the fact remains, one man, vladimir putin started this war. one man can end it. second, as we worked and it russia's work against ukraine, members of this counsel must address other challenges to international peace and security. we hear the concerns of countries that worry that standing with ukraine and
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holding russia accountable is diverting focus and resources from others in need. to those i would say, look at our actions, and when you hear russia and its defenders accused the countries that support ukraine, i say look at moscow's actions. compare the numbers. in addition to the $60.5 billion -- $13.5 billion in food aid u.s. provided to combat hunger, we find 40% of the world food program's budget. russia contributes less than 1% of that budget. that is not an outlier. based on the latest figures, the united states donates more than nine times two russia. we donated 390 times to unicef. we gave a thousand times to the u.n. refugee agents. third, we must reaffirm our commitment to upholding with u.n. charter calls the dignity
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and worth of a human person. we must continue to compile evidence of russia's widespread atrocities, including executions, torture, rape and sexual violence, deportation of thousands of ukrainian civilians to russia. we must document russia's work -- war crimes, crimes against humanity and share this with investigators and prosecutors so one day, the perpetrators can be held accountable. day after day of russia's atrocities, it is easy to become numb to the horror, and lose our ability to feel shock and outrage. we can never let the crimes russia is committing become our new normal. mariupol is not normal. bombing schools and hospitals is not normal.
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stealing ukrainian children from their families, and giving them to people in russia is not normal. we must not let president putin's callous indifference to human life become our own. we must force ourselves to remember, behind every atrocity in this wretched war, and conflicts around the world is a human being. i recently visited him exhibit -- an exhibit of artwork made by ukrainian children affected by the war. one painting i saw was made by 10-year-old girl, named veronica. last april, russian forces shelled her home, killing her whole family. when first responders dug her from the rubble, a piece of shrapnel was lodged in her skull her left thumb had been . her left thumb had been ripped off. dr. saved her life, but the attack left her right hand mostly paralyzed, and she cannot
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see out of her left eye. in her painting, veronica drew herself in a bright pink and orange dress, holding a bouquet of flowers. the building stands next to her, when asked who lived there, he -- she said it was where the people she knew that were killed in the work could be safe. -- war could be safe. we the peoples of the united nations, determine to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, that is how the charter begins. fellow members of this counsel, now is the time to meet that promise. there are so many people in ukraine who want the same thing as that little girl. a world where they can live in peace, in their own country, and keep the people they love safe. . we have the power, we have the responsibility to create that
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world, today and for generations to come. we cannot, we will not let one country destroyed. figure. >> i give the floor to the representative of the russian federation. [foreign language] >> mr. president today is the , last day of a week that is anything but simple. it will be remembered by one and all for the information how the --, which was created by ukraine and western sponsors related to the one year mark of the russian special military operation in ukraine. it would seem this is what the promise boils down made in january to have a peace summit in new york. so as to analyze what was said by our former western partners during this week, we could
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without exaggeration convene whole political science conference and that will probably happen in the future and people will want to cast a retrospective eye on this. and for a political science conference we could propose the following title, yet another missed opportunity to peacefully resolve ukrainian crisis. this would be right because any expression using the word peace, which are being disingenuously used including today by high representatives of ukraine and western countries, what is meant is something different. what is meant is the capitulation of russia and inflicting a strategic defeat on russia. ideally followed by the disintegration of country and redrawing territories. it includes these two goals over western interference in ukrainian affairs were displayed by the way almost nine years ago on the day of of the
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unconstitutional coup on the 21st of 2014. these are the goals that -- show we have a hostile, nationalistic, russia phobic regime that decided it would resolve the issue with zeal. our british colleague, yesterday when she spoke in the general assembly and criticized belarus submitted amendments to the draft resolution, she stated the amendments and equate the aggressor and the victim. you're not concerned that your victim has up to its elbows in blood and nazi tattoos. the nine-year-old. of elimination of russian-speaking citizens. you think it is normal why do , you think it is normal for ukraine to send guns and tanks against unarmed civilians and bomb them.
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only because this people do not want to give up their identity. that is what the regime did in 2014, and it was then that the internal ukrainian armed conflict erected. -- corrupted. do you think we were supposed to resign ourselves? please allow me to remind you that it is aggression against yugoslavia was a justified by nato by the campaign of terror and need for the kosovars to enjoy security and human rights on an equal basis. this is a quote from the statement made by nato on the 23rd of april in 1999. and then, you and your other colleagues denied russian-speaking ukrainians of the rights and freedoms. if you present kyiv authorities who attack them, you are silent about the campaign they unleashed against them. for us it is obvious that
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ukraine is not a victim. if ukraine did not wage war against the people as you can -- you condone, but he did did their aspirations, and then there would've been no need for a special operations. and crime era probably would have made within ukraine because people of crimea only decided to choose reunification after their direct threats from kyiv authorities. i would like to take an opportunity the fact we have people here in this meeting. i would like to raise one more very inconvenient for our western topic, the minsk agreement. we heard the consensus by boris johnson said that neither france nor germany nor the united kingdom ever viewed the agreement seriously, had no
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intention to urge the authorities to implement them and only used them to buy the time and give kyiv time to prepare for a war with russia. if you disregard this dimension side of the issue, and we have no illusion about out -- the moral qualities of our western colleagues. what we have is the leaders of these states openly stated they violated security council resolution 2202. which enshrined the agreements. this does not stop the minister of foreign affairs of these states from lecturing other member states in the counsel. furthermore, what we heard of the earlier if russia is to and the war, and if ukraine stopped fighting there will be no ukraine. it sounds false.
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from whom did you hear that the goal of our military operation is to destroy ukraine? we never stated such a goal. we always wanted to have right next to us a friendly neighbor who does not threaten us, does not discriminate and is not trying to redirect nazis. this slogan of yours, if russia stops hostilities, ukraine will continue -- discrimination can against russian-speaking people. those who do not want to live with them, it's rights and freedom will continue to be violated in the glorification of nazi criminals will continue. if ukraine ends hostilities, it will get the chance to be reborn as a peaceloving state and will save thousands of lives. that is why we are saying that
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we are ready to negotiate about how the goals of our military operation could be implemented using peaceful means. but of course any mechanism we , are independent we are not ready to consider. colleagues, we stated many times that ending hostilities in ukraine is not something that the west is interested in. as we know for a fact, prevented the kyiv regime from making peace in april last year, and our colleagues are happy with everything. russians and ukrainians are killing each other, the western defense companies are getting fabulous profits, and they have a platform for testing new weaponry, and nato is getting rid of its old weapons and is rearming. washington is also weakening its european competitors who are displaying unseen impotence.
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this is something we talked about at length in this chamber yesterday. and hoping it will weaken the west is rubbing its hands russia, threaten china and will keep it its monopoly position. it will remain the so called blossoming garden stated by mr. burrow on this jungle planet. the top golden billion will continue enriching itself at the expense. pitting countries against each other, using their resources and exploiting its people. that is what is meant by the rules-based order. which russia dared infringed upon because we do not want to accept a russia phobic at our border. we want to make sure that developing countries have no illusions about what this conflict is about. of course, resolving this conflict is inseparable with having to do with indivisible
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system in european and atlantic security. currently it works for the united states and nato allies. they gave themselves the right to bring themselves into the issues of other countries. ukraine is example. the base is deployed at our borders and violation and key understandings ending the. of cold war. western leaders lied to us then, and went to continue deceiving us now. for them, it is of nato to expand uncontrollably is absolute. the key part telling us about how much money that is spent on development purposes that was done by state secretary blinken. let me recall after the cold war alone, the united states conducted 251 military operations abroad.
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inflicting untold damage of those countries. even if you pay 100 more than you do now, you will not be able to make up for that. the collective west needs to understand and accept there are other players with their own interests. you have to coexist with them or you can cooperate in mutual interest. this has to be done on a respectful basis. a unipolar world is in the past, and it is in our interest to make sure we transition to a multipolar world with few upheavals as possible. we would like to hope ukrainian crisis will be the last hot phase of such a transaction. this is how a genuine discussion of peace should look like. possibly within the u.n. the sooner we talk about this. we tried to start such a dialogue before then 2021, but our proposals to have a dialogue was spurred by the west. the price was paid by the
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ukrainian people, the kyiv regime sacrificed ukrainian people for the purpose of western geopolitical interests. we welcome genuine efforts to have peace, such as the chinese and the -- chinese proposal. the choice is up to our western partners. first and foremost washington. after everything we discovered about, after limitless and disgusting russia phobia and canceling russia. after supplying zelenskyy regime to kill women, children and the elderly. after ukrainian venture and trying to create difficulties on our borders, our relations will never be this. do not believe you, and restoring trust is difficult if possible. what is important are these are not words. but, attempting to do this is in your interest. at this point, your worsening
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-- you are worsening the situation by continuing to pump the kyiv regime with weapons and helping them in the battlefield. you leave us with no option other than to eliminate rats to -- threats to russia from the territory of ukraine militarily. please bear this in mind when you start making up new anti-russian initiatives at the and pass them off as evidence of support for ukraine in the world. i thank you. i thank you. >> i give the floor to the representative of china. [foreign language] >> mr. president, i think secretary general for the briefing. it has been one year since the outbreak of the ukraine crisis, it is causing great concern to all of us. the international community, while deeply concerned about the prospects of the expansion of the conflict, should think about how to stop the fighting as soon as possible and how to realize long-term peace in ukraine and
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europe. china issued earlier today, a position document on political sentiment of ukraine crisis. we have taken an objective and impartial stance based on the merits of the issue, and are ready to continue to place a responsible and constructive role in easing the situation in resolving the crisis. i would like to highlight some points. first, when resolving international disputes, we recognize international law including the principles of u.n. charter must be upheld. the sovereignty and territory integrity of all countries must be effectively guaranteed. a universally recognized international law and norms governing relationship, bears on the international system and fairness and justice. this should be equally and uniformly applied in every place without exception.
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some countries, while stressing sovereignty and territorial integrity on ukraine issue, is blatantly interfering other countries internal affairs and undermining sovereignty and territorial integrity. this double standard in full display. the international community is clear about it. to facilitate a solution to the ukraine issue, there is a need to pursue common security. security is not an exclusive right enjoyed by some countries. the security of a country should not be pursued at others. strengthening or expanding military blocks and were never bring about peace. russia, ukraine and european countries are neighbors that cannot physically move away. to realize lasting peace in europe, the cold war mentality and block confrontation must be abandoned. the security concerns of all
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countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. so that if the regional security architecture. conflicts have no winners. diplomatic negotiations is the only right way to stop the crisis. the international community should promote peace and talks with highest sense of urgency and create enabling factors for platforms and negotiation. bringing parties to the conflict back to the negotiating table is not going to be easy, but it is the first step towards a political solution. just now, secretary-general gutierrez appealed that we give peace a chance. we call on russia and ukraine to resume negotiations without preconditions. ukraine is not a fight between two major countries, no one should seek to benefit from the
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conflict at the cost of ukrainian people. it is imperative to never cross that threat line of nuclear security. nuclear weapons must never be years, and nuclear war it must -- he used, and nuclear war must never be five. the risk that the ukraine crisis could lead to an escalation of the conflict, countries bear an important responsibility to maintain communication and coordination, and do everything they can to prevent a nuclear crisis. the international community should oppose armed attacks against nuclear power plants or peaceful nuclear facilities. ensure strict compliance with the nuclear safety among others, and support the iea and playing a constructive role in promoting safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities. fifth, the humanitarian crisis is growing and should be
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promptly addressed. the conduct must restrict itself and conflict. parties should avoid attacking facilities and civilians, protect the vulnerable, ensure humanitarian access and respect the basic rights of prisoners of war. the international community should increase humanitarian assistance, help restore the structure, ensure basic livelihood of refugees and displaced persons to prevent a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale. at the same time, humanitarian operations should follow the principles of neutrality and impartiality and avoid politicization. six, each country is responsible for the important task of promoting peoples livelihood. to managed to spill over in the crisis. ukraine crisis has far-reaching impacts, but the developing countries are not parties to this conflict and should not pay
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an excessively high price for it. and the relative and parties have been sorting to unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure, which cannot solve any issue and can only undermine the stability of the global supply chain. and exacerbate the food, energy and financial crisis. we hope parties take action and stop abusing sanctions and long arm jurisdiction. the black sea grain initiative signed by the u.n. and russia on the export of food products and fertilizers have significance for ensuring global food security and should be implemented and effectively in a balanced manner. mr. president, of the road to peace will not be smooth. no matter how complicated the situation is, we must never give up our hopes for peace. efforts for peace, china always stood and will continue to stand on the side of peace as a
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-- and dialogue. we stand ready to work with all parties to promote a political solution to the ukraine crisis for the early arrival of peace. thank you mr. president. >> i think the representative of china for his statements. i give the floor to his excellency, stereo seven barrell representative of the european union, foreign affairs and security policy. >> thank you mr. president. secretary-general. today exactly one year ago, russian tanks rolled into ukraine starting a major invasion of a peaceful neighbor. for one year we have all seen ukrainians fighting to defend their country. they deserve the solidarity of everyone around the world, every country and every person. i will make two essential
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points. first, russia's word of choice matters to all of us. second, how to get peace. the war of choice because this war is the war of president putin choosing. for one year, we have seen the horrors, 30 million people homeless, 20 million in need of humanitarian assistance, and tens of thousands forced to leave their country and seek refuge across europe. families are torn apart, a catalog of crimes to forced deportation of tens of thousands of ukrainian children. it stands out for its depravity. abduction of innocent ukrainian children. the challenging of personal status, including nationality.
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to be adopted by russian families and human rights and national. -- in clear violation of human rights and national law, by the geneva convention. these children, these ukrainian children need to be returned to ukraine immediately. crimes against humanity. i have seen for myself the civilians killed, with some having their hands tied behind their back before they were executed. and who can forget mariupol, i would like to pay tribute to the united nations for the safe their efforts of the safe passage of civilians trapped in the steel plant. russian forces have been hammering ukrainian's and infrastructure for month.
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air raid sirens have become a just optically -- dystopic lead regular future of ukrainian life, and i witnessed myself, by many of you, when i was in kyiv 10 days ago. [foreign language] >> food insecurity and energy insecurity are leading to price spikes whose effects are catastrophic for the most vulnerable people. rising costs of foodstuffs and essential goods have added an additional burden to the already difficult lives of many countries around the world. for that reason, this war affects us all. the european union and its
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states have for a year contributed to lightning this burden. it is the consequences of the war, in africa for example, more than 1.5 billion euros have been dispersed for food security initiatives in the countries most affected in chad, and to the heart of africa. >> of war matters a lot. -- this war matters a lot. for the principal of state and the shockwave it is creating. it needs to stop, and it needs to stop now. it brings me to the second point, maybe the most important one. how do we get to peace? everybody is asking for peace. how? how do we get to peace?
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let's hear here at the united nations and around the world, a growing clamor for peace. that was the message the general assembly sent yesterday. the security council has been broke, the general assembly stated with a majority of 141 versus seven, the world condemns aggression, russia must withdraw its troops, of the world once and needs peace. but not just any piece. we want a just peace. based on international law and united nations charter. it is urgent for that kremlin to heed this message and act on it. look into the future. we need to build on this
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resolution to make it happen. president zelenskyy has presented a 10 point peace plan, and we supported. we the european union will remain open to genuine parties and ideas that supports ukraine's efforts to have a comprehensive just and lasting peace, as the general assembly voted based on united nations charter and international law. meanwhile, we will continue to support ukraine to defend itself and protect its people. because of the search of peace, and ukraine go hand-in-hand. both together not either or. the search for peace and supportive ukraine. with that i want to make a final point. our principal support for ukraine does not come at the expense of our engagement
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elsewhere in the world. on the contrary, the european union remains for peace in the world because we know there are many more tragedies, many more problems around the world then native supports and are concerned. it is not instead of, it is on top of. we will continue doing the same thing we have been doing until now. we have a strong track record of engagement around the world. financially, politically, with more than 5000 women and men deployed in crisis management operations. we launched two more. one in armenia and the other in najaf. we have many other problems, many other wars and many other sufferers around the world. we take care of them, we worked
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with the people in ukraine and be a reliable partner for peace around the world, wherever peace is in danger and people suffer. thank you. >> i give the floor to his excellency, the minister of the foreign affairs of poland. >> mr. president, excellencies, let me begin with expressing my gratitude to malta for convening this important meeting, and to the secretary-general for his invaluable insights. excellencies, i believe that we should focus on three main things. first of all, the accurate diagnosis of the situation. then, the search for an adequate
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reaction, and finally the steps that need to be implemented. so, let's start with contrasting the truth against the disinformation and misleading propaganda. the truth is, exactly a year ago , russia decided to start its illegal aggression against ukraine, period. russia's war has been putting international institutions to test. it is testing our commitment to the principles that protect us all. the humanitarian cost of this war are horrifying. the aggression has caused the biggest crisis in europe since the second world war.
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russia's campaign of terror has its deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure are utterly unacceptable. the kremlin's actions are driven by the will to destroy the ukrainian nation, its heritage and its future. that is why i am convinced that russia's barbaric aggression against ukraine is not a bilateral issue, it is a concern -- and the concern of all states. we all have the duty to bring the atrocities to an end. secondly, the prohibition of aggression and crimes against humanity are used norms. this means that no delegation
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from them is permitted. poland advocates for full accountability for all the violations and compensations for inflicted damage. seeing so, what should be the guiding principle for its approach? nobody has doubt whatsoever when we look at the domestic laws of our countries, and they stand on the premise that justice means the protection of the vulnerable against of the more powerful. the assertion is that in a will -- well ordered society, the vulnerable need to feel as
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secure as the powerful. the powerful, they will note need to be brought fully accountable. so others are not encouraged to commit similar crimes in the future. if the international community is to grow from this horrific war and to the right conclusions , for future generations, poland believes we are required to search for solutions in the international law system. therefore, i called to introduce the same overrule of attempting the vulnerable against powerful villains in our international relations.
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both in equal dimensions of political practice. let's build a world order, international community. in order to achieve that, international institutions with all the resources must stand on the side of the hunt and execute accountability and compensation from aggressors. no matter how strong and powerful they are. i cannot envision the world bound to this will. can you? secondly, with respect to his golden rule, poland support ukraine is and will remain unwavering. millions of ukrainians have found a safe refuge in our country.
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in 2022, poland spent more than 9 billion u.s. dollars, that is 1.5 -- 1.5% of our gdp on humanitarian assistance to ukraine refugees according to the research oecd estimates. we provide support and host over a thousand u.n. agencies and international organizations helping ukraine from our territory. we will remain steadfast in our support for as long as it takes because we are motored by in the will to protect the ukrainians and every other nation in need. our actions are about safeguarding collective peace and security.
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if we do not act in solidarity now and act on the fundamental international laws, it can be too late. mr. president, excellencies, poland stands firmly behind the value and principles of the u.n. charter. we refuse to go back to power politics and fears of influence. the international community has the strength and will to stand by ukraine and to defend the eu charter so the power of argument, not the argument of power remains. thank you.
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>> c-span has unfiltered coverage to the ukraine's response to russia's invasion. bringing the latest from the president and white house officials, and gone and state department and congress. we have international perspectives from the united nations and statements from foreign leaders. all on the c-span networks. the c-span out free mobile app and c-span.org/ukraine. our web resource page where you can watch the latest videos live or on-demand. go to c-span.org/ukraine. >> next week on the c-span network. the house and senate are back in session following a break for the presidential holiday. on tuesday morning, the foreign affairs holds that hearing on countering the chinese communist party. the armed services will hear from defense department officials in management of u.s. military support ukraine. on wednesday the you and attorney general tend --
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testifies before the judiciary on oversight of the justice department. watch next week, live on the c-span network or on c-span now our mobile video app. c-span.org for scheduling and to stream video live or on-demand. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> live sunday, march 5, from the festival books. jeff would be our guest on in-depth. to take your calls on history and american outlaws. he wrote books about bonnie and clyde, charles manson into the mexican border war. and his more about the 51 day standoff in texas in 1993 between federal agents and the branch division. join the conversation with phone calls, facebook,
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