Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, addresses the General Debate of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 24 - 30 September 2024).
President Zelenskyy asked the leaders, assembled in the General Assembly Hall for the annual general debate, to imagine the situation in their countries, if 80 per cent of their energy systems are destroyed.
“What kind of life will that be?”
He continued, noting that according to his intelligence, Moscow plans attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and their infrastructure with the aim of disconnecting them from the power grid.
“If, God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of our nuclear power plants, radiation won’t respect state borders, and unfortunately, various nations could feel the devastating effects,” he warned.
Further in his address, President Zelenskyy highlighted the failure of the Security Council in dealing with the war, noting that “when the aggressor exercises veto power, the UN is powerless.”
He contrasted that with his proposed peace formula, which he said is supported by nearly 100 nations and international organizations and in which “there is no veto power”.
“That’s why it’s the best opportunity for peace - everyone is equal, and it’s effective and comprehensive,” he said, noting also that it prioritizes nuclear safety, energy security, food security, the return of prisoners of war and the protection of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Against that backdrop, he criticized “alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans” to the peace formula, adding that such attempts “not only ignore the interests and suffering of the Ukrainians”, but also give “Putin the political space to continue the war”.
“Any parallel or alternative attempts to seek peace are, in fact, efforts to achieve a lull instead of an end to the war,” he said.
World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, "Unity and diversity for advancing peace, sustainable development, and human dignity, everywhere and for all." Heads of State and Government and ministers will explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.
General debate website: gadebate.un.org/
#UNGA #UnitedNations
29 сен 2024
