President,
Let me start by restating a fundamental principal. A party to a conflict cannot expect to be perceived as neutral.
In the spirit of the UN Charter, they should neither be the author of Council drafts, nor should they take part in voting on the very same conflict to which they are a party.
And no one can be in doubt of the Russian Federation’s status as a party.
Yet, in meeting after meeting, and in numerous letters, Russia expects us to accept their accounts, reports, and views as if they are coming from a neutral place.
President,
For nearly a month now Russia has continued its reprehensible invasion of Ukraine.
Civilians are being attacked, injured, and killed- even as they try to flee to safety. Homes, schools, and hospitals are being bombed by Russia as we speak.
What we have before us today is not a neutral and balanced humanitarian resolution. It is a distraction.
Russia’s war against a fellow UN Member State is a clear violation of: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, of international law, and the very principles of the UN Charter.
President,
If the Russian Federation cares about the protection of civilians in Ukraine, it can stop its senseless war.
That is the way to bring an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine.
Russia can end this war.
They should do it now.