Transcripts For CSPAN U.N. Security Council Meeting On Russian Invasion Of Ukraine 20220827

The meeting is called to order. The agenda is adopted. I have received a letter from the representative of ukraine to the u. N. , requesting that his excellency, mr. Volodymyr zelenskyy, president of ukraine, be invited to participate via video teleconference in todays meeting, in accordance with rule 37. Would any member wish to take the floor on this matter . I gave the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation. Thank you, mr. President. Our delegation of objects to the virtual participation of the president of ukraine, zelenskiy, in todays meeting. We would like to explain our objection. We are not opposing the participation of the president of ukraine or his representative in the meeting. I will repeat once again for protocol and for those who will try to distort our possession, we do not object to the participation in this meeting. However, this participation must begin person, he must be physically present in the Council Chamber. These are the rules that govern the work of the console. This is not about politics, purely a procedural matter. It is also a matter of respect for the members of the console and for the consul as a body. Indeed, when the world was facing the pandemic, we collectively decided we would continue working virtually. But all of our meetings via video teleconferencing were informal meetings. Then after returning to the Council Chamber after the peak of the pandemic, we decided that the council would resume its normal working patterns, which meant a return to the normal procedure. In other words, if members of the council are here in this room, other members must be present here as well. Mr. Zelenskiy has already spoken to the consul twice. Each time we expressed our negative view of this in writing. The western members of the consul explained and assured us in writing, including the president that invited the president of ukraine, that this was an exception that would not create a precedent. A precedent is not created after a first or second time, but a third time is no longer exception. We would like to remind those numbers of counsel who presided or will preside on the consul that we have already encountered such cases. We can understand making a few exceptions when we had just returned to the chamber after the pandemic, when it was still preventing the head of state from traveling. However, this year, our presidency as well as other president s did not allow highranking representatives of the Member States to speak under rule 37 fire video teleconference. Why should there be double standards on this matter . Why should heads of state of other countries on the council of agenda be subjected to discrimination . This recalls the situation with International Humanitarian assistance, when people forgot helping others in other parts of the world, or the double standards on refugees and migrants in europe when refugees from ukraine are greenlighted in every european country. While refugees from africa and other regions find themselves facing barriers. We cannot agree to make an exception for one country and one person. The meeting was announced one week in advance and the president had the opportunity to travel to new york instantly see zelenskyy meeting foreign delegations around the country and even posing for photo shoots or glossy magazines. He has also appointed the head of the ukrainian delegation at the 77th session of the General Assembly, possible only through personal participation. From this, we can draw the conclusion that there are no restrictions to the president s movement. We also know that the minister of Foreign Affairs of ukraine has an actively traveling abroad. Moreover, today in this room, we see secretary general Antonio Guterres who recently traveled to ukraine and visited several cities there. A repeat once again that what we are objecting to here is not the participation of the head of ukraine, but rather his participation via vtc specifically and we ask the president to put this matter to a procedural vote. I thank the statement where the representative of the Russian Federation. Are there other members who wish to take the floor on this matter . The representative of albania. Thank you very much mr. President. We listened to the arguments put forward by the delegation of russia, we disagree with them. Let me ask lane, we have discussed this issue in the past and here we are again. Unfortunately since the situation in ukraine has not changed, has not improved. We agree that in the postpandemic situation, participation under rule 37 should be an exception. You are faced with such a situation since it democratically elected leader of a sovereign country, a member of the u. N. , cannot leave his country for reasons beyond his control. We all know what the reasons are. The rules have explained in detail the reasons for grounding the u. K. And president s ability to address the Security Council virtually. Allow me to reiterate that the justification for this exception remains unchanged from the times when the Council Agreed that the incident should or could address the consul via vtc. It was so in april, in june, and sadly, now. Ukraine is at war and foreign invasion. When the full military attack on a country, ukraine, remains ongoing, with curfews imposed on various cities because of that threat, the Security Council cannot reasonably demand that the president travels to new york if he wants to participate in a session. It is therefore legitimate that we fully understand that in such circumstances, the situation in ukraine requires president zelenskyy to be there. This is a unique and exceptional situation at this moment in the world and for this consul as well. We therefore strongly support the participation of president zelenskyy via vtc and invite other members to vote in favor. I thank you. I thank the representative of albania for their statement. Are there other members who wish to speak . In view of the comments made by the Council Members and the request by the representative of the Russian Federation, i propose to put to the vote the following proposal. To extend an invitation to his excellency mr. Volodymyr zelenskyy, president of ukraine, to participate via video teleconference in todays meeting, in accordance with rule 37 of the consuls rules of procedure. Ill show put the proposal to the boat now. Will those in favor of the proposal to extend an invitation under rule 37 of the consuls divisional rules of procedure, to allow zelenskyy to participate via videoconference please raise their hand . Against . Please raise your hands. Abstentions . Please raise your hands. The result of the vote is as follows. 13 votes in favor. One vote against. One abstention. The proposal to invite his excellency mr. Volodymyr zelenskyy, president of ukraine, to participate in todays meeting via vtc has been adopted. I now invite i will give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation. Thank you, mr. President. We regret that members of the council have spoken out against complying with the rules. We can understand the logic of the western backers who are prepared to sacrifice the entire ukrainian people to cover up kyivs crimes, but we are disappointed that other members who when they come to the consul, undertake the obligation to uphold the rules of the consul today, have contributed to the erosion of its very foundations and actresses. We call on all Member States in the u. N. To take note and despite our position, we will hear from zelenskyy because we also have something to say to him as well. We hope he will remain until the conclusion of the meeting. We shall see whether or not mr. Zelenskyy will be able to come to the 77th session of the General Assembly as the head of the ukrainian delegation and not as the represented of albania has claimed. I thank the statement by the representative of the Russian Federation. I now invite president zelenskyy to participate in todays meeting via vtc. In accordance with rule 39 of the consul toko provisional rules and procedures, i invite miss rosemary dicarlo, undersecretarygeneral for political and Peace Building Affairs to participate in this meeting. It is so decided. In accordance with rule 39 of the council for regional rules and procedure, i also invite his excellency, cahrges des affaires. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 on the agenda. I am honored to invite the secretarygeneral his excellency mr. Antonio guterres. I give him the floor. Mr. President. President of, excellencies, today marks the third and tragic milestone. Six months since russias february invasion of ukraine. During these devastating period, thousands of civilians have been killed and injured, including hundreds of children and countless others have lost family members, friends, and loved ones. Countless violations of humanitarian law committed with no accountability. Millions of ukrainians have lost homes and worldly possessions, becoming refugees. Humanitarian needs continue to rise rapidly, with millions of people in need of assistance and protection. As needs skyrocket, it is imperative that humanitarian access in ukraine reach all people who require assistance no matter what a live. Mr. President , the consequences of this senseless war are being felt far beyond ukraine. We are seeing new vulnerabilities emerge in the Global Environment already worn out by conflict, inequality, pandemicinduced economic crisis and climate change, with a disproportionate impact on developing countries. The acceleration of already high food, fertilizer and food prices have triggered a Global Crisis that could drive millions more into extreme poverty, magnifying malnutrition while threatening to raise the humanitarian caseload to new highs. Vulnerable communities are grappling with the costofliving crisis, the worst in a generation. High commodity and transportation costs. Mr. President , the undersecretarygeneral will brief the consul on the conflict in ukraine both inside and outside the countries over the past six months. As i mentioned on monday, i want to take this opportunity to provide a brief update on my recent travel to ukraine. I would have liked to have given the same yesterday based on my experience in discussions about zaporizhzhia, but unfortunately i was with a plan that was impossible to change at such a short notice. My visit was an important opportunity to follow up on the landmark deal that has brought a measure of hope, especially to developing countries and millions of honorable people that in the global food crisis, some of them on the edge of famine. I can report that the initiative signed in in stumble in july is progressing well, with dozens of ships sailing in and out of ukrainian ports, loaded with 700 20,000 metric tons of grain and Food Products. This would not have been possible without the constructive approach of those in ukraine and russia and the efforts of the government in kyiv. During my visit, i met with ukrainian president zelenskyy and turkish president are broken. I thank them for their continued engagement to support the initiative to get ukrainian Food Products and fertilizers to those in need. I was filled with emotion visiting the port of odessa and instant will. On my visit to odessa, i went aboard a carrier. Why . It was being loaded with about 10,000 metric tons of wheat. It was deeply moving to be in the shape and see wheat pouring in. Even if in a limited way, the port, which has been paralyzed for months, is slowly coming to life, thanks to the initiative. In istanbul, i saw a chartered shape, the brave commander. It was probably flying a u. S. Flag with its cargo dusty and for the horn of africa, where millions are at risk of famine. I then had the opportunity to walk up the long and narrow gangway of the ssi invincible, having to keep up ukrainian grain in another port. It will carry one of the largest hauls of grain leaving today. More than 50,000 metric tons. A few months ago much of this would have been hard to imagine. We are seeing a powerful demonstration of what can be achieved even in the most devastating context where we put people first. What i saw was the more visible part of the solution. The other part of this package deal is increasing access to ukrainian fertilizers which are not subject to sanctions. It is critical that all governments and the private sector corporate to bring them to market. Together with the team led by rebecca greenspan, i will continue my intense context for that purpose. In 2022, there is enough food in the world. The problem is uneven distribution. But if we dont stabilize the fertilizer market in 2022, there simply will not be enough food in 2023. Many farmers around the world are already planning to reduce areas for cultivation for next season. Getting much more food and fertilizer from ukraine and russia at reasonable cost is vital to calm Commodity Markets and lower prices for consumers. I once again commend the parties for their engagement in this process. I also renew the call i made for a massive scaling up of support for developing countries getting hammered by the global food crisis. The shipment of grain and other foodstuffs is crucial, but it will not mean much if countries cannot afford them. Developed countries and International Financial institutions must do more to ensure that developing countries can fully capitalize on the opportunities of the black Sea Grain Initiative. Mr. President , despite progress on the humanitarian front, fighting in ukraine shows no signs of ending, with new potential areas of dangerous escalation appearing. Ever present in my mind and in my discussions on ukraine, zaporizhzhya and others. I remain concerned about the situation in and around europes Largest Nuclear power plant in zaporizhzhya. The warning lights are flashing. Any actions that might endanger the physical integrity, safety, or security of the Nuclear Plant are simply an acceptable. Any further escalation of the situation could lead to selfdestruction. The security of the plant must be insured, and the plant must be established as your civilian infrastructure. In contact with the iaea, the u. S. Secretary has assessed that the logistic capacity to support any iaea admission to the zaporizhzhya Nuclear Powerplant from kyiv, provided both russia and ukraine agree. I welcome expressions support for such a mission. Mr. President , i am deeply disturbed by the allegations of violations of International Humanitarian law and violations or abuses of human rights related to the armed conflict. International humanitarian law protects prisoners of war. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in ukraine and the independent commission on inquiry in ukraine continue to monitor, document and report the investigation of alleged violations. Work is also ongoing to deploy a Factfinding Mission to look into these events on july 29. This mission must be able to freely conduct its work and analyze information. It is imperative that the mission is safe, secure and has unfettered access to relevant places, and relevant evidence without any limitation. Mr. President and excellencies, on this 31st anniversary of ukraines independence, i wish to congratulate the ukrainian people. The people of ukraine and beyond need peace, and they need it now. With line it is in line with the u. N. Charter and with International Law. I thank you. I thank the secretarygeneral for his introductory remarks. I now give the floor to miss decarlo. Mr. President , on february 23 2022, this chamber had this chamber heard impassioned pleas to avoid a war in ukraine to no avail. To this day there is no end to the conflict triggered by the Russian Federation. As we meet, the heaviest fighting is concentrated in the eastern donbass region, in zaporizhzhya, and in the northeast, but virtually all corners of ukraine are affected and no one is out of reach of missile strikes. At the same time, several attacks conducted mainly with drones have also been reported in the autonomous republic of crimea, and the city of sevastopol, ukraine, occupied by the Russian Federation since 2014. Civilians are paying a heavy price in this war. During the past 181 days, the office of the High Commission for human rights has recorded 13,560 civilian casualties. 5614 killed, and 7946 injured. These figures are based on verified incidents. Actual numbers are higher. The majority of civilian casualties were caused by his closely weapons with wide area effects. The use of these weapons in and around Populated Areas has predictable and devastating consequences. To date, we have documented damage and destruction of 249 medical facilities and 350 educational facilities. Actual figures may be higher. The indiscriminate shelling and bombing of Populated Areas, killing civilians and wrecking hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure are actions that may amount to war crimes. Mr. President , we continue to receive reports of human rights relations. Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of civilians including local authorities, journalists, civil rights activists and other civilians continues. Unhcr has documented cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of civilians the Russian Federation and affiliated armed groups and nongovernmental controlled territory. Ohchr has also recorded arrests, and other cases that may amount to enforced disappearance. 14 victims of enforced disappearances perpetrated by the Russian Federation and affiliated armed groups were found dead or died while in detention. 13 men and one woman. Ohcr also collaborated allegations of hundreds of killings of civilians in parts of kyiv and so many regions under russian control from february through march of 2022. It has also verified 43 cases of conflictrelated sexual violence, the majority attributable to Russian Forces. Mr. President , we are also concerned about the situation of prisoners of war on both sides. All prisoners of war are protected under International Humanitarian law. There is a need for unimpeded access by the International Community and the red cross to other places of detention, including places of internment of ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees in the Russian Federation. We are concerned by reports that the Russian Federation and affiliated armed groups in the nats are planning to try in the nats are planning to try ukrainian prisoners of war in a tribunal in mariupol. Any tribunal must respect the protections afforded to all prisoners of war by International Law, including air trial guarantees. The failure to uphold these standards could amount to war crimes. Mr. President , humanitarian needs continue to rise rapidly. At least 17. 7 Million People, or 40 of the ukrainian population, needs humanitarian assistance and protection, including 3. 3 million children. Humanitarian access is of grave concern. Roads are heavily contaminated with explosive ordinance, putting civilians at risk and stopping humanitarian convoys from reaching them. Over 6. 6 million internally displaced persons have been recorded. Another 6. 7 Million People have left ukraine to go to other countries in europe, most of them women and children. Mr. President , as winter approaches, the destruction caused by war, combined with a lack of access to a and electricity due to damaged infrastructure could become a matter of life and death as people are unable to heat their homes. An estimated 1. 7 Million People are already in need of assistance with heating, shelter repair, and other winterization preparations, as temperatures in parts of the country are expected to decline tell20 degrees celsius. Our revised flash appeal requires 4. 3 billion dollars to support 17 Million People in need of assistance through december of 2022. Donors has generously provided 2. 4 billion as of august 19. The humanitarian response is scaled up to 500 humanitarian Organization Partners reaching over 11. 8 Million People with at least one form of assistance. The war has severely impacted agriculture in ukraine, leaving thousands of farmers without income, destroying grain Storage Facilities and exacerbating Food Insecurity among vulnerable groups. According to the World Food Programme, 20 of the people in ukraine have insufficient food. As the secretarygeneral emphasized, the repercussions of the war in ukraine are being felt worldwide. According to estimates, 340 Food Insecurity in 82 countries with the operational presence. This represents an increase of 47 million accurately hungry people due to the ripple effects of the war in ukraine. Last month, we estimated that up to 71 Million People may have already been pushed into poverty in the three months after the start of the war. Key affected areas include the balkans, the caspian sea region, and subsaharan africa, particularly the sahel. The Global Financial situation remains volatile, with concerns about potential stagflation in the latter part of 2022 and 2023. Markets remain under stress, a serious concern is the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere approaches. While food prices have stabilized in recent weeks, this has not translated to lower inflation yet. Inflation continued to accelerate in july. It is breaking multidecade records and yet it is developing countries that have been more drastically affected. The fiscal situation in many developing countries is a particular concern, particularly as they borrowing ability has been fragile, as their ability to respond to the pandemic break significant expenditures. Import bills are coming under further pressure. We remain concerned that the deteriorating social Economic Situation in developing countries, particularly those in already fragile situations, could lead to further unrest. While it is difficult to establish a direct link to the war, we have already seen an increase in the number of riots between the first and Second Quarter of 2022. Mr. President , todays grim anniversary coincides with ukraine independence. We congratulate the people of ukraine on this day. But let us recall that the human and material toll of the war is tragic, colossal, and evident. First and foremost for ukraine and its people, and the economic consequences for the world are ominous and growing. The conflict is having another impact, that although less tangible, is just as paralleled. In deepening global positions and exacerbating distrust in our institutions, the war is weakening the foundations of our international system. The consequences of a breakdown in how the world manages questions of peace and security are frightening to contemplate. This war is not only senseless, but exceedingly dangerous, and it touches all of us. It must end. Thank you, mr. President. I think her for her statement. I now invite his excellency, mr. Volodymyr zelenskyy, president of ukraine. I give him the floor. Thank you to everyone. Thank you for this support and greetings from the independent and free ukraine. [indiscernible] russian terror. As i was preparing for this statement, i received information that russia has launched missiles against a railroad station, the Railroad Cars at the station. [inaudible] [no audio] there is a parisian Nuclear Power plant has six reactors. Only one reactor exploded internal bill. The aaa take permanent control of the situation at the zaporizhzhya up and as soon as possible, and russia should unconditionally stop nuclear blackmail and completely withdraw from the station. Russia has [indiscernible] hunger. It is a fact that russia controls ukrainian ports. Increased the deficit in the already destabilized food market. This is [indiscernible] situation in different parts of our planet. The largest over the last 500 years. Fortunately, we have been able to create to accept the terms of the International Community and allow them to restore grain exports from three grain bin ports. It should relieve the tension in the food market, but it does not remove the threat completely. Only the full recovery of ukrainian agricultural exports without obstacles can be a guarantee that tens of millions of people around the world would have something to eat. I feel resigned to the fact that even now in the 21st century, you still have to fight to save tens of thousands of people in Different Countries from this artificial hunger. This artificial one, which was provoked by a single with its insane aggression. It is also a fact that ukrainians do feel that the u. N. Was established not to aid in the 21st century over the aspects that should have long remained in the past. Nevertheless, i thank secretarygeneral of the u. N. And the president of turkiye, and all other members of the International Relations who are fighting against food crisis for which only russia is responsible. In the coming weeks we will do everything to expand the existing green initiative. Lets take another aspect, energy. It is a fact that russia is deliberately trying to impose energy on people, deliberately raising energy prices. All of this is done by a prominent member to the u. N. Security council, who still uses the privilege of its veto. The Energy Crisis for europe, the threat of largescale hunger, the political kos for african countries, crisis in the whole world. Isnt it too much for a single country whose representative sits among you . I will mention one more aspect, the values. Indeed, we should honestly talk about the point that values are perceived differently in other parts of the world. Different approaches. Everywhere in the world, life has value. This has value. Economic prosperity has value. All countries, if they respect themselves and their people, they punish for murder, and do not honor the executioners. However, there is a country that behaves differently and is proud of doing so. It rewards murderers and encourages executioners. This is a threat not only for ukraine, thousands of ukrainians were killed by invaders. Russia does not comply with fundamental conventions on the prisoners of war, something that was also mentioned today. The deliberate killing by the russian occupiers of our prisoners of war became one of the most terrible pages in the history of europe. There is an immediate need for a u. N. Factfinding mission in the city. By the victory of ukraine and all these russian murderers will inevitably end up in other countries, europe, asia, africa, latin america. There are traces of russian war criminals everywhere. We must all get united and act evasively, as soon as possible, so that there are no more traces of russian missiles and no more cities burned by russian artillery. So there will be no threat of radiation catastrophe ever again. Russia must release the captured territory of ukraine so that there will be no food crisis. Russia would need to withdraw from our land. From our sea so that no other country in the world can again disregard the u. N. Conventions binding on all mankind. Russia must be held accountable for the crime of aggression against ukraine. The relevant resolution will be submitted for the consideration for the 77th session of the you assembly in order for justice to return to International Relations. We must force russia to recognize that the inviolability of borders and peace are unconditional values for all nations. This is why the independence and integrity of our country are of fundamental importance for International Relations, preserving our independence. [indiscernible] returning normally economic ties with ukraine will restore the true power to the u. N. Charter and save the world from the crisis that we are all forced to face now. Mr. General secretary Antonio Guterres has the ambitious intention of organizing the summit of the future year, we support this initiative and we reaffirm that in order to build the future, it is necessary to leave in the dusting of history what has always prevented humanity from living in peace, namely, the aggression and colonial ambitions. That is what russia came with two ukraine. I believe we can truly build the future. That would be good and symbolic, to have this summit in ukraine, it is on the territory of ukraine that the worlds future is decided. Whether we will have a future at all. This is being decided also at the zaporizhzhya Nuclear Powerplant. And in our seaports. In donbass. In crimea. Our independence. Is your security. The security of the entire world. Thank you for this opportunity for the understanding of my situation and the situation of our country. Thank you for the attention. And i think the chinese president for allowing me to participate in this session in an online format. Glory to ukraine. I thank his excellency mr. Zelenskyy for his statement. I now give the floor to the members of the Security Council, to the representative of the u. S. Thank you, mr. President , and thank you secretarygeneral guterres and undersecretary general dicarlo for your briefings. I would also like to congratulate ukrainians on their Independence Day, and thank president zelenskyy for participating in the meeting. President zelenskyy, the United States stands with you and the people of ukraine today and every day. And every russian bomb that falls only strengthens our resolve to support your sovereignty and your independence. Today marks six months of russias premeditated and unjustifiable and brutal fullscale war against ukraine. Just six months since we, sitting here in the Council Chamber, watched as russia, serving in the presidency, attempted to defend the indefensible. Six months of russias defiance of the International Community. Six months of russias flagrant lies and disregard of International Law, including violations of the international charter. Six months of attacks by russia, killing ukrainian civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure. Six months of devastation and missile strikes that have torn apart families and still in lives of two mini and stolen the lives of too many, like the children killed last month in the missile strike that left 24 people dead. Six months of horrific atrocities, including rape, murder and torture in towns like bucha and irpin and others. Families separated and millions displaced. Six months of killings. Thousands dead. Six months later, russias goal is as clear as ever, to dismantle ukraine as a geopolitical entity and erase it from the world map. Russian disinformation campaigns are increasingly being weaponized to prepare for further attempts to annex ukrainian territory. The russian minister of Foreign Affairs publicly acknowledged this as one of the kremlins objectives. Specifically, at russia is laying groundwork to attempt to annex the regions of kherson, zaporizhzhya, donetsk and luhansk oblatt. Lets be clear. The International Community will never recognize russias attempt to change ukraines borders by force. When the worlds leaders come to new york next month to reaffirm their commitments to the u. N. Charter, they will also be reaffirming their support for that basic principle. So, no matter how many more sham referendums moscow tries to install, or illegitimate authorities, we will continue to defend the u. N. Charter and uphold ukraines poverty, territorial integrity, and independent. And as we discussed yesterday, russia is responsible for creating another grave risk to another core commitment for the International Community to Nuclear Safety. Ukraine had an impeccable record of Nuclear Energy security at the zaporizhzhya powerplant, but russia recklessly attacked and seized control of the plant by force, risking nuclear disaster. In a similar vein, we are really concerned by russia socalled filtration operations whichs involve removal of civilians to remote areas of russia. These camps are abducting and separating children from their parents. Russian forces are forcibly confiscating and replacing passports, dictating curriculums in schools, and replacing ukrainian street names and other public sites with russian language alternatives. The evidence of Russian Forces interrogating, detaining and forcibly deporting hundreds of thousands of ukrainians, including children, continue to mount. The reasons are clear they want to destroy ukraine, its culture, its people, its very existence. Even when we have seen progress like the movement of grain and footsteps from ukrainian ports following the muchneeded arrangement signed with turkiye, russia did not let us forget about its intentions. Mere afterh the deal was linked, russia launcho missiles at the port of edessaurs, a potent reminder millions of ukrainians are still under siege, and tens of ukrainians around the world are being driven to hunger by russias actions. For all this violence and carnage, these hunger and humanitarian crises, these human rights abuses and threats to vulnerable groups, russia and russia alone bears sole responsibility. And russia alone is the sole hindrance to swift resolution to this crisis. We must continue to call for and ensure accountability for all of russia to agree atrocities russias atrocities. Today marks six months of war, but it also marks ukraines Independence Day. A day normally celebrated by parades or festivals with joy. Many of us came together in a similar kind of celebration on july 4 last month, on the u. N. Lawn, as america celebrated its independence. We ate and we danced and we looked in awe at the fireworks in the sky. In ukraine today, there are none of the typical festivals, no priests or concerts. Citizens have been told to stay away from cities and to look for a very different kinds of explosions from the sky. And we heard president zelenskyy describe just that to us today. One ukrainian citizen told an npr reporter that she hopes that, and i will quote her, she hopes that we can celebrate independence without weapons in the future. Maybe with flowers and dances instead. Let us do everything we can to bring the flowers and the dances back to k i thank the representative of the u. S. For their statement. I give the floor to the representative of albania. Thank you, mr. President. Let me also think the secretarygeneral and secretary dicarlo. 31 years ago today, ukrainian obtained its independence from the decaying soviet union. It is a day of celebrating, im sure, despite the situation in ukraine and abroad. We want to welcome you, president zelenskyy, with this meeting under the exceptional circumstances you and your country continue to endure. But celebrations are not easy and hardly joyful when you are attacked by a neighbor who returns pretense pretends from dawn to dusk to be your brother but not the kind of brother that is assaulting you, killing your people, deporting your people, breaking your country, president , today, when the u. N. Charter will determine when the respect for International Law returns. It marks 67 weeks since the general resolution when the 27 weeks from the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution when the whole world as a whole ask russia to stop the war and respect the sovereignty of ukraine. It marks 25 weeks from the legally binding order from the International Court of justice, the highest International Court, to immediately stop military activities. All of these goals and these calls and documents continue to be ignored. Russia persist its due course to dismantle ukraine and subjugate its people, despite unquestionable evidence and hard proof that its actions have continued to produce a serious global destabilizing efforts from security, energy, food, including the risk of a nuclear catastrophe, and are increasingly decoupling russia from the european continent. We think turkiye for their successful effort in making sure grain and other Food Products are exported from ukraine and go on the tables of the needy of the world. The war is having an impact on ukraine and beyond, but hardly anything compares to the impact to the devastating impact on the children, in particular, the future generation. Some 1000 children, maybe more, will not be there to see the liberated ukraine. They have been killed. 5. 2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. 3. 6 million have been affected by the closure of schools or the impact of the attack on schools, which will continue to delay the childrens return to inperson learning. Many more millions will be inflicted by invisible wounds that need to be prioritized for childrens psychological needs and help them build resilience. If there is one single reason to put an immediate end to the war, it is this, for children. The future generations, as it is written and our constitution. Mr. President , a few weeks ago, a deadly explosion killed 63 ukrainian prisoners of war held in ukraine territory under russian control. This tragic event is still not independently elucidated, after everything of that nature, we are told that ukraine did it. Prisoners of war should have been protected by law as well as by the guarantees given to the u. N. And International Community for red cross, that they would be properly treated. Unfortunately, 53 of them were killed. We welcome the appointment by the Investigation Team by the secretarygeneral. We strongly ask the u. N. To do everything to make sure the investigation is done impartially and under u. N. Terms. Those responsible for such despicable crimes must be held accountable. Mr. President , there is increasing evidence that the kremlin is making dreadful choices and recruiting russians prisoners to fight. Credible reports and medical investigations point in that direction. This is very worrying in a situation that is already alarming, since we have seen that soldiers were able to reach in bucha. We have shivers when we think about what would happen when we give weapons to murderers and criminals who should be behind bars in russia and not in ukraine and not military uniforms. These fighters will fill in for those who have come to discover the truth, an abundant war, partners in crime. One was sent to kherson. He is free to speak his mind now and tell his story, and what is he saying . Let me quote, we are destroying towns and not liberating anyone. We do not see any reason that our government is trying to explain to us. All of it is a lie. We are just destroying peaceful lives. His account is much longer, 143 141 pages, out there in the open for anyone to read the crimes committed next door. Mr. President , we have warned before and wish to reiterate any territory, any development incompatible with ukraine constitution imposed by russia, such as sham elections, will not be accepted, will not be recognized. For russian officials, and territories under russian control, speak openly. This will be null and void to that end. As stated by key european leaders as recently as yesterday, ukraines friends are ready to support ukraines right to defend itself, not because anyone is against russia and the russians but simply because all those who want peace in ukraine, the litmus test for european architecture, and the stress test for resilience of world peace and security. Colleagues, on this day, we reaffirm once more our full solidarity for ukraine. We pay tribute for those who are fighting for their land and their lives and to all those who sacrifice independence and freedom of ukraine. We reaffirm our support for the integrity of ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and we call on russia to stop the war, change course, so that next year at this time, there is a real happy parade in kyiv, not the ones with burnt out or abandon husks of Russian Military equipment, the upper tone the epitome of this senseless war. Thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative from albania. Now to the representative of france. Ms. Estivalbroadhurst [speaking french] translator thank you. I would like to welcome everyone this morning. Mr. President , for six months now, ukrainians have resisted the war of oppression launched by russia with a horrific toll of mass suffering and abuse. Neighbors recall that ukrainians are fighting for their sovereignty and the territorial integrity of their country. What better time to pay tribute then today, the day of their national holiday, which in 1991 mark the independence of ukraine. Through its struggle, ukraine is also defending the purposes and principles of the u. N. Charter, and that is why france will continue to stand by its side. With our european partners, we will continue to support ukraine as long as is necessary in the face of russian aggression. On this day when ukrainian independence is celebrated, let me say clearly again that france will never recognize the annexation of territories occupied by the Russian Federation. France will not recognize the legitimacy of independent referenda organized by russia in these territories in an attempt to legitimize its aggression and camouflage, nor will we ever recognize the annexation of crimea. The world is already grappling with serious threats. We welcome the fact that the joint Coordination Center in istanbul is now operational, and that 33 vessels have been able to lead Ukrainian Forces since the signing of the istanbul accords. But let us not delude ourselves. The negative fallout of the war led by russia is ongoing, and it is getting worse. Supply chains are still disrupted. Transportation costs remain very high. The Energy Markets are crippled. As long as russian aggression persists, the fallout will continue to spread. The presence of Russian Troops on the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant also heightens the risk of Nuclear Accidents and potentially devastating consequences. We recall our appeal for the withdrawal of Russian Forces. Any incident would be the primary responsibility of russia. Mr. President , the information we have received about acts of torture against ukrainian prisoners is shocking. Let us would be. Repeat. Russia must respect International Law that applies in all armed conflict, whether or not it acknowledges being at war, as well as International Human rights laws. France along with its partners rally in the initial days of russian aggression, the crimes committed in ukraine would be identified. We actively support the work of the International Criminal court investigating acts, war crimes, crimes of genocide, and crimes against humanity. We also support investigations of ukrainian jurisdictions. We will follow closely the upcoming publication by the International Independent commission of inquiry, created by the human rights council, with the support of france for once again, we call upon russia to choose diplomacy, to rebuild peace with ukraine, recognize it sovereignty and integrity, internationally recognized borders, at the time it of the conditions determined by ukrainians, which is the victim of aggression. France will continue to devote itself to that end. Thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative from france. I give the floor to the representative of ireland. Amb. Moran thank you, mr. President , and i want to thank the secretarygeneral. I also thank usg dicarlo for her briefing, and i want to welcome president zelenskyys address to the council and reiterate islands irelands unwavering friendship and support of ukraine on their Independence Day. Mr. President , it is eight and a half years since russia first violated the sovereignty and integrity of ukraine. It is six months to the day since russia launched its further illegal unprovoked invasion of ukraine, violating and attacking the Core Principles of this United Nations. Let us be clear, the internationally recognized borders of ukraine have not changed in the last six months, nor in the last eight and a half years. The decision by ukraine to the decision by russia to invade ukraine has not changed those borders. They did not change in 2014, and they have not changed in 2022. Neither will russia be recognized for anything other than flagrant violations of the principles of sovereign independence and intervention and the bold attempt to entrench a supposedly sphere of influence. We also condemned the dangerous, escalatory, and unacceptable Nuclear Rhetoric by russia during the conflict. Mr. President , for 183 days, ireland has called for an end to the unjustified and unjustifiable war being raised against ukraine. As each day passes, words of violations of human rights and International Humanitarian law violations grow. Civilians in ukraine continue to pay the highest price. For six months, they have been living under terror, not knowing when and where the next bomb will strike. We therefore, once again, call on russia to comply with its obligations under International Law. The conflict must comply with International Humanitarian law. They have an obligation to not attack civilian objects. There is a prohibition against indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and an obligation to take all feasible precautions in attack, and compliance is not optional. Mr. President , as i said yesterday at our meeting, ireland remains extremely concerned by the situation at the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plants, and we call on russia to end its illegal occupation of the site, withdraw its troops and munitions, and ensure ukrainian authorities can impose responsibilities for safety and security at the site. We welcome reports by the iaea and support the secretarygenerals calls for the plan to remain connected to the ukrainian power grid. Mr. President , once again, we call on russia to end its brutal war and withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognized territory of ukraine and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors. Russia can end its aggression if it chooses, but even if it chooses to execute its illegal war, it still has obligations under International Law, and it must comply with those obligations. We note this morning to comments from the secretarygeneral and the under secretary general, particularly in the face of the onset of winter. Russias aggression continues to cause mounting hardship and suffering for the people of ukraine, who have shown remarkable resilience and resolve. Today, ireland stands in full solidarity with them. Thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative from ireland. I give the floor to the representative of norway. Dep. Amb. Heimerback thank you, mr. President. Russias war in ukraine is affecting us all. It is an attack on Democratic Values and freedom. It is causing a global food crisis, and it is a blatant violation of International Law and the very principles of the u. N. Charter. To president zelenskyy, thank you for your strong testimony this morning, and for the heroic fight you and ukrainian people are engaged in for your country and for peace and freedom. Today, we marked the ukrainian declaration of independence in 1991, and here we are, 31 years later, because the soviet successor state russia has invaded ukraine. It is truly tragic. We reiterate our support for sovereignty and integrity for internationally recognized borders. Usg dicarlo, thank you for your thorough and thoughtful briefing, and secretarygeneral, thank you for your briefing on your important visit to ukraine. Norway applauds the goal and the efforts to relieve consequence of this horrible war and to restore peace. Precedents no way convinced the actions. Russian warfare in heavily Populated Areas and the use of heavily explosive weapons is destroying homes, schools, and hospitals, and the ongoing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including Nuclear Power plants, is having a devastating and unacceptable impact. Thousands have already been killed. Millions have fled their homes. Others are trapped in war zones. We stand with the people all over ukraine who continue to live in daily fear of the next attack. And we reiterate our demand that civilians must be protected under International Humanitarian law, International Human rights law, truly respected and implemented. Humanitarian actors must be assured access. Russia must stop the war and fully, immediately, and unconditionally remove forces and equipment from ukraine. Russia started the war in ukraine. It can choose to stop it. It seems clear war crimes have been committed. These cannot be forgotten. Perpetrators on all levels must be held accountable. President , the secretarygeneral has talked about the begin of the beacon of hope with the resumption of ukrainian grain exports. We are encouraged that the critical transportation line from the global breadbasket might be restored. It is muchneeded for ukrainians as well as the worlds most Vulnerable People and countries. And it is critical that the World Food Program and other humanitarian actors again can purchase grain from ukraine, the humanitarian food assistance. It is now vital that the black Sea Grain Initiative is fully implemented. Mr. President , the accumulative effects of the war are felt by more people every day. In may, this council expressed its unified support for the efforts of the secretarygeneral in the search for peaceful solutions. We must continue to support the secretarygeneral and his efforts for dialogue, mediation between the parties, in pursuit of peace for freedom of the people of ukraine. We stress for members of this council to make every effort to ensure peace. Again, to the ukrainian people, our thoughts are with you on your national day and every other day. We repeat our solidarity with you. I thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative of norway for their statement. I give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. Dep. Amb. Kariuki thank you, president. On behalf of the united kingdom, i thank the secretarygeneral and under secretarygeneral dicarlo for everything. We warmly welcome president zelenskyys participation. Six months ago, the council met late into the night, and russia launched an unprovoked and illegal invasion of ukraine in violation of the u. N. Charter. In the months that followed, ukraine has been subjected to the full horrors of war. As we have heard today, thousands of civilians have been killed or wounded. Over 17 million are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Schools, hospitals, and other medical facilities have been attacked. We have seen a pattern of russian violations of International Humanitarian law and a few russian human rights abuses, violations of torture, inhumane treatment, and others. Ukrainian citizens, including children, have been forcibly deported to russia. 6 Million People are displaced within ukraine, and over 6 million are refugees abroad. And the people of ukraine are not the only victims of this war. Beyond ukraines borders, putins decisions have had a devastating impact on the worlds most vulnerable, with many millions across the world affected by the rising food and fuel prices. We again pay tribute to the work of the u. N. Secretarygeneral to negotiate the black sea grant grain initiative. President , today, in what would be another violation of the u. N. Charter, there are reports that russia is returning fake agenda to illegally annexed locations of ukraine. Any attempts will fool no one. Russia has, after all, lied throughout their illegal invasion, using disinformation to create false pretext, undermine ukrainian sovereignty, obscure the truth, and hide war crimes. And it would further demonstrate russias contempt for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles which, as Member States of this organization, we have all committed to upholding. President , 31 years ago today, ukraine declared its independence, with over 90 of ukrainians voting in favor. Today, that pride in ukrainian identity and sovereignty remains as strong as ever. We have all seen the courage and ingenuity of the ukrainian people as they have fought to defend the nation against russias attack on their National Sovereignty and rights to selfdetermination. Ukraines fight is a fight for the principles of the u. N. Charter. All of us in this chamber have a responsibility to recognize that. It is a fight that has inspired the world with his courage and defiance against brutality. So today, on ukrainian Independence Day, we stand together with the nation of ukraine and its heroic people who continue to resist russias attempt to rewrite International Borders by force. We once again call for russia to withdraw its forces from ukraine immediately, and we call for full accountability for russias crimes. Thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative of the u. K. For their statement. I give the floor to the representative of brazil. Amb. Costa filho thank you, mr. President. I acknowledge the participation in the session of his excellency, president zelenskyy, to whom i extend congratulations on the occasion of ukraines national day. I thank the secretarygeneral and usg dicarlo for their remarks. Six months after the opening of hostilities, there seems to be no solution in sight for the conflict in ukraine. The situation is now compounded by the risk of nuclear disaster. It is essential that we refrain from attacks that could threaten the safety of Nuclear Facility that has been happening in the plant. Brazil reiterates the call to facilitate the access of the iaea mission, so that conditions of the plant could be properly evaluated. It is deeply saddening to note how little progress has been made towards a political solution. The most notable result was the initiative on grain exports from ukraine and on facilitating russian grain and fertilizer exports, announced in july, for which we are grateful to the secretarygeneral. When the parties engaged in negotiation, an important result was achieved, which partly alleviates the credit of food prices around the world and particularly in developing countries. Mr. President , reality and history show that closing the door to dialogue is not the right approach to resolving any conflict, and this applies to ukraine. Actions that prolong the hostility will only result in greater human suffering and will not resolve the underlying causes. Brazil welcomes the secretarygenerals efforts to ensure the implementation of the istanbul agreements and takes note of his visit to the region last week. It is essential that the International Community seeks to preserve this international achievement, which indicates a possible path toward broader negotiations. We urge the parties to keep open the channels of dialogue that made possible the istanbul package as they offer the best prospect for peace. Finally, we call the obligation on both sides to protect the civilian population can prevent and prevent human rights abuses. Attacks against residential areas and churches, schools, and hospitals are unacceptable and will fuel the logic of retaliation that must be avoided by all means. It is in everyones interest that the two countries can live peacefully, sidebyside, in the future, and cooperate to achieve developing goals. I thank you, mr. President. Zhang jun i thank the representative of brazil for their statement. I give the floor to the representative of gabon. Amb. Biang thank you, mr. President. I thank the secretarygeneral, secretary guterres, and under secretarygeneral dicarlo for their respective briefings. I welcome the president of ukraine in this meeting. Mr. President , as the war in ukraine enters the seventh month, our hearts are full of compassion for all the civilian victims since the beginning of the conflict. We express our solidarity of the survivors, among whom are many women, children, and displaced persons and refugees whose daily lives have been upturned. We pay tribute to the humanitarian personnel, for work on the ground, to alleviate the atrocities of daily life, for survivors of the war, for providing precious aid, often in difficult conditions. In addition to the human toll of the war, there is a very heavy material flow, disruption of medications, and Public Services revision channels have become daily occurrences. Bombardments targeting Nuclear Facilities of which the Nuclear Power plant has become symbolic creates the risk of nuclear catastrophe. This is a risk that increases with the further development of activity around the site. There is an urgent need for military activity around Nuclear Facilities to cease and forewarn parties to refrain from any action that could put the world at risk of a nuclear catastrophe, with irreparable consequences. We we iterate our appeal to the parties to comply with the Nuclear Safety rules and to cooperate with the iaea, to secure a potentially dangerous site, in order to prevent a disaster. We welcome recent announcements indicating the willingness of the parties to allow admission a mission of iaea experts at the zaporizhzhia power plant to avoid any conflagration. We reiterate our opposition to the war and are outraged on attacks on civilians. The parties to the conflict must respect the International Commitments they have entered into under humanitarian law. Mr. President , the most recent update from the office of the High Commissioner for human rights reports 13,744 civilian casualties, including 5587 killed, 890 injured. A large number, including children, are maimed. As long as the fighting continues, the humanitarian situation in ukraine and surrounding countries will continue to deteriorate. It is hard to predict the extent of the physical and psychological repercussions that will result, let alone the economic consequences, whose shockwaves continue to spread. Mr. President , for seven months, this council has been plagued by unprecedented fragmentation. It has been moving to the rhythm of one camp against the other, while towns and villages are ravaged. Women, men, and children are being scarred by a bloody war. Our mandate is to stop wars, if not to prevent them. It is urgent for us to come together around our mandate and the purpose of this council, faced with the hopeless logic of confrontation and antagonism, my country will continue to choose the side of peace, negotiation, and dialogue. We must activate the channels of dialogue. This is the unwavering position of my country, which, since the beginning of the hostilities, has stood in favor of consultation as the preferred method of resolving conflict. The recent agreement that was reached to allow the export of grain from ukrainian ports is one ray of hope that can lead to more. It is high time for peace to return to the heart of our priorities. In conclusion, my country, once again, calls on the parties to firmly commit to negotiations in good faith, with the goal of silencing the guns and bringing peace to ukraine. Thank you, mr. President. Zhang jun i thank the representative of gabon for his statement. I give the floor to the representative of kenya. Amb. Kimani thank you, mr. President. I thank secretarygeneral Antonio Guterres and under secretarygeneral Rosemary Decarlo for their updates on the situation in ukraine. We want to convey our best wishes of president zelenskyy and the people of ukraine on their Independence Day. We regret that what should be a day of celebration has been impaired by a war that has breached ukraines integrity. The people of ukraine have suffered greatly these past six months. We offer them and particularly the bereaved families our deepest condolences. Mr. President , ukraines Independence Day gives us an opportunity to appreciate our own independence, as i am sure is the case for every member of this assembly. We will forever be thankful for the brave men and women who fought for our freedom. We joined the u. N. Within days of becoming independent. We signed up for its principals, because, as a young nation, we needed assurance that our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence would be respected. We valued its mission to outlaw aggression, to use its instruments to help us turn our spoils into plowshares, so that we could enjoy the fruit of our freedom. We remain thankful that this United Nations fruitful colonization, that it gives voice to the smallest countries in the world, without regard to their military might or wealth. Their military might or weapons. What a precious heritage we have and how intolerable that it should be as endangered as it is today. We are forced by this moment to recall how its predecessor, the league of nations, was unable to stop the conflict that led to the great fire of world war ii. Multilateralism, as expressed in the United Nations, including in this venerated chamber, with all its flaws, is our last hope against a new world war. The world we choose to fight of kenya and africa, as i believe is the case for most of the world, for independence, from poverty, ignorance, and disease. We have no desire to be drawn into a worldwide conflict or for our grievances and disagreements to be the soil in which wars by proxy take root. We have seen ukraines warning that we, too, could be engulfed by the computations which endanger sovereignty. That is why we believe that ukraines immediate fate is so important to all of us. Ukraine deserves the same freedom and independence that we enjoy. It is a member of our u. N. In good standing. Its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence should be respected. Its people do not deserve to have their lives and livelihood destroyed. Unless the ukraine war is stopped through dialogue and negotiation, it could be the first in a series of conflicts that future historians will name the third world war. Such a disaster would be different from the last wars and all of the wars before them. The dangers of direct conflict between Nuclear Armed powers means that confrontation would be undertaken by proxy. Africa and the rest of the world would be thrown into a mirror of the cold war, that shatters our democracy, overthrew and killed our leaders, and ruins a decade of economic progress. Stopping this war in a manner that adheres to the principles of the u. N. Charter is what will keep other grievances from boiling over. Mr. President , not all is lost. Even in such dark times, we must remember that, in the past, serious threats to International Peace and security have been successfully resolved. There is yet a chance to build on a slim but important success represented by the agreements between the parties for the secure export of ukraines food product through the black sea as well as food and fertilizer exports from russia. We commend the secretarygeneral and the government of turkiye for their crucial facilitation, the willingness of the parties to negotiate, and the alertness, subtle skill, and moral position of the facilitates demonstrates that diplomacy is still able to deliver, if given a chance. We cannot leave our fate to the most powerful. Some of them may be bent on domination, but we cannot allow it to be at the expense of our common peace. They may project certainty and great power, but none can know or control the future. It is time for intuitive, bold leadership from any and every country that has influenced to push them to dialogue rather than confrontation. The immediate aim should be cessation of hostilities in ukraine, the opening of safe humanitarian corridors, and unhindered humanitarian access, and the security of all nuclear installations, especially the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant. These should be part of a roadmap in agreement that secures the sovereignty and integrity of ukraine. The principles underlined should adhere to the u. N. Charter and be utilized to stabilize. In the meantime, kenya, in all relevant forums, will offer every support to positive efforts seeking these aims. We will continue to champion the cause of the secretarygeneral and his team, who need to be commended for their tireless efforts. In this regard we applaud his recent visit to love eve laviv. Mr. President , we know that even the multilateralism in the Security Council, a spirit of urgency can still allow us to force a just peace for ukraine. A wish for all ukrainians their continued independence as we reaffirm kenyas respect for ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity. I thank you for your attention. Zhang jun i thank the representative of kenya for his statement. Now i give the floor to the representative of uae. Amb. Nusseibeh thank you, mr. President. And at the outset, i would like to thank the secretarygeneral for his opening remarks and undersecretary dicarlo for her valuable briefing. I went to express our gratitude to the secretarygeneral and his team for effective use of his good officers. As the undersecretary said, in odessa, the ships that left the port carrying grain or indeed vessels of hope. I also thank president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of ukraine for his briefing, and i want to join my colleagues in congratulating president zelenskyy and all ukrainians for their countrys Independence Day. Today, we mark six months since the beginning of the war in ukraine, and it is difficult to overstate the toll it has had, the dead, the injured, for those remaining in the country, and those forced to flee. A staggering one third of ukrainians have been displaced from their homes. 6. 6 million have sought refuge across europe. Beyond ukraines borders, the conflict has exacerbated food and securities and the rise in commodity prices, both of which add to the daily hardship suffered by hundreds of millions of people around the world. The uae strongly applauds the agreement brokered with the support of the secretarygeneral and the republic of turkiye to facilitate the exports of grain, food supplies, and fertilizers to global markets. This rare example of tangible progress cannot, however, be the last. It must incentivize more concerted efforts to mitigate the impacts of this conflict on the rise of those most in need and to ensure that we are not here six months from now marking a year of conflict and further global disruptions. Mr. President , the u. N. Charter provides a repertoire of tools, none of which are applicable in the absence of a political will to use them. In turn, this requires us, all of us, to recognize the war will only end through a negotiated settlement and that all wars must eventually end, as they have done countless times in human history. Theres value in the councils meetings on ukraine when they are focus on actions, suffering of civilians, and finding a path to this wars end. We cannot change the past, but what happens next is a responsibility we all share. In the last few weeks, we have seen signs of progress, particularly the agreements on agricultural exports. We have also taken positive note of the partys expressed support for the iaea, and we urgently reiterate that this must happen. As the secretarygeneral said, warning lights are flashing, and failure to act could be grave. These initiatives all could mark broader political discussions, and we need to work hard to preserve and expand these windows toward viable diplomatic initiatives aimed at deescalation and solutions. Mr. President , a sustainable resolution relies on ultimately the u. N. Charter and International Law as our guiding principle. Six months in, our call for cessation and hostilities throughout ukraine is as relevant as it has ever been. We cannot become in nerd enured to this war. The stakes are too high. Every life is too precious. The conflict should end now, and we need to see leaders from both sides commit to charting the difficult path forward with all of our support. Thank you, mr. President. Zhang jun i thank the representative of uae for her statement. Now, i give the floor to the representative of ghana. Dep. Amb. Oppongntiri i thank you, mr. President. I welcome the participation in this meeting of president zelenskyy and other participants. We wish ukraine best wishes on their Independence Day. I also expressed thanks to the secretarygeneral for his briefing on the humanitarian and security situation in ukraine and join others in commending his direct involvement in the multiple mediation efforts, aimed at getting the Russia Federation and ukraine to cease their hostility and to positively engage in dialogue. I affirm in that regard, ghanas full support for the continuance deployment of that and to bring lasting peace to the people of ukraine. Mr. President , the black Sea Grain Initiative and supplies to world markets, both secured under the auspices of United Nations, with the fragmentation by other field experts, has proven that with diplomacy and a solution can be found to the ongoing military hostilities in ukraine. Now more than ever, we must seize on the positive momentum generated by these two outcomes and intensify efforts to find other avenues to significantly reduce dangerously escalating tensions. Indeed, since july 27th, and the subsequent implementation, the maritime humanitarian corridor in the black sea, created by them, has enabled more than 500,000 metric tons of grain and other foodstuffs to be evacuated from ukraine to various parts of the world, which had been reeling under the truth of hunger and Food Insecurity. As the members of this council, working in a constructive manner to bring the weight of the Councils Authority to such initiatives. Mr. President , the mounting tools and the destruction to economic infrastructure in ukraine remain a matter of deep concern to ghana. Their Nuclear Facilities, meant for peaceful purposes, has become in this senseless war. We stress the need for the parties, including that of the International Community, to end the war. Further, we urge that demilitarization around ukraines Nuclear Facility and extend our support for International Inspectors to be allowed access to the facility, in line with established norms. We on the fact that there is beyond the fact that there is no military solution, the war is unfortunately a situation in many areas. We share the conviction that any miscalculation could potentially result in a wider conflict in europe with longterm irreparable damage to the global peace and security architecture. We therefore continue to urge on the path of all the key access actors and for unconditional respect of the obligations imposed by the charter. We encourage all parties to seek specific settlements, as there should be no question about the need to respect International Law, which precedes the current rulesbased international order. Mr. President , in conclusion, we wish to underscore that it is crucial for the lives and safety of civilians, particularly women and children, caught up, in the ongoing war, to be prioritized. We renew our call for the Russian Federation to withdraw all invading troops from the internationally recognized borders of ukraine and pursue diplomacy and dialogue to resolve its concerns. I thank you. Zhang jun i thank you. I would like to give the floor to the representative of india. Amb. Kamboj thank you, mr. President. We think the secretarygeneral for his comprehensive briefing on his visit to ukraine last week. We think thank usg dicarlo. I commend the celebration of their Independence Day. As we meet six months to the beginning of the ongoing conflict in ukraine, india is ready to dispatch its 12 consignment of humanitarian aid ukraine consisting of medicines, including bandages meant to stem the wounds in children and adults. This was a specific west by the gradient side, request by the ukrainian side, we have made sure that we will be reacting in the fastest possible time. In the last six months, india has dispatched 11 confinements of approximately 97 point five 97. 5 tons of humanitarian aid to ukraine and those countries such as romania, slovakia, and poland. Ukraine and its neighboring countries have offered there. Support of the evacuation of indian nationals. This humanitarian aid and assistance symbolizes the humancentric Development Approach of the government of india, a natural tenant of our National Beliefs and values, which perceives the whole world as one family. India remains deeply concerned over the situation in ukraine. The conflict has resulted in loss of life and countless injuries for its people, particularly for women, children, and the elderly, with millions becoming homeless and forced to take shelter in neighboring countries. We believe that, going forward, we need to focus on the following aspects. One, in terms of diplomacy, india continues to advocate for an immediate cessation of hostility and an end to violence. We encourage talks between ukraine and russia. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi more than once has spoken to them in this regard. Two, the prioritization of urgent humanitarian relief. I have just elaborated that we continue to give the highest priority to the request that we received in this regard. We also reiterate the importance of u. N. Principles of humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian action must always be guided by the principles of humanitarian assistance, that is, humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These measures should never be for the size. Three, we will work with the International Community and partner countries to mitigate the economic hardships resulting from this conflict. The impact of ukraine conflict is not just relative to europe. In fact, there are concerns of food, fertilizer, and Food Security, particularly in developing countries. Four, Food Security remains a major concern. It is necessary for all of us to appreciate the importance of equity, affordability, and accessibility when it comes to food grains. India has been approached for the supply of wheat and sugar by many countries, and we are responding positively. In the last three months alone, india has exported more than 1. 8 million tons of wheat to countries in need, including to afghanistan, myanmar, sudan, and yemen. Five, we are also trying to increase the production of essential agrarian inputs, like fertilizers, in india. There is also need to focus on the availability of fertilizers and keep the supply smooth for the global scale. Six, efforts should be made to attain stability in the Global Supply of fuel, to match with demand. Open markets must not become an argument to perpetrate inequity and promote discrimination. Seven, we have delivered for the world in terms of vaccines. We did it earlier. So i would like to assure this council that india will step forward whenever the global south is constrained on aspects of food, health, and energy security, and we will do this in a manner that is help the Global Economy and does not seek undue advantage of countries in distress. Indias approach will be to include dialogue with an overarching aim to end the conflict and work with other partners to mitigate the economic challenges emerging from the ukraine conflict. Mr. President , it is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, seeking an early resolution to this conflict. We continue to reiterate that the global order be anchored on International Law, the u. N. Charter, and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. Thank you. Zhang jun i thank the representative of india for her statement. Now, i give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation. Amb. Nebenzya [speaking russian] translator mr. President , regarding the statement by the president in ukraine, the reason the Security Council at one point decided not to involve foreign leaders, often seeking to avoid technical difficulties, which we just witnessed during mr. Volodymyr zelenskyys statement, it was very difficult to make out anything that was set at all at certain points. We hope that our position regarding inperson participation of guests, at the very least out of respect for those, has become clearer as a result of those following todays meeting. Mr. President , yesterday we gathered here in connection with a concrete threat, namely the ongoing ukrainian bombing of the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant. We took note of the explanation of the secretary general for why he did not take part in yesterdays meeting. Todays meeting, however, formally not related to developments on the ground at all, and is meant to demonstrate the unfailing support of western delegations for any actions of the kyiv regime. We have predictably heard mantras of russian aggression. No expedition for Security Issues other than rushs aggressions have emerged in the west. Russias aggressions have emerged in the west. Today, we also heard many claims about the catastrophic consequences of hostilities of ukraine. No one is arguing it is difficult for ukrainians today, however, the responsibility for this lies with the kyiv regime, which came into power in 2014, as a result of a coup carried out with a number of western states. From the very beginning, the maidan authorities have been steadily leaving the country to disaster, choosing the past path of the glorification of nazi criminals, according to the most conservative estimates, more than 60 of the population of ukraine was deprived of the opportunity to realize their russianspeaking identity, contrary to all Relevant International conventions and ukraines obligations. Their western backers made it clear from the beginning they would cover up any crimes committed by the kyiv authorities and turn a blind eye to things they would never allow in their own countries. The kyiv regime fully demonstrated its criminal nature when it burnt those alive in donbass. In this senseless ukraine, ukraine in this senseless ukraine marked crimea and provoked armed resistance from donetsk and luhansk residents, who took up arms in the name of freedom for their children to this war, which claimed the lives of civilians, could have ended if kyiv had signed the minsk agreement, however, neither the ukraine authorities nor their foreign patrons needed this. They stated at the beginning of the year. In such a context, in order to establish peace in the donbass and to prevent the obvious threat to russia emanating from ukraine, we had no choice but to launch a special operation to do not survive denazify and demilitarized ukraine, the goals of which are being steadily fulfilled your directly once again if the minsk agreement had been implemented, no special operation would have been needed, but the regime in kyiv decided otherwise. There criminals yelling of the republic of donbass continues. In the den next donetsks peoples republic, 840 people have died on the line of contact since february, about 2800 injured. In luhansk approximately 100 civilians have been killed in four weeks since the previous meeting july 29. They are purposefully destroying infrastructure including kindergartens, schools, medical facilities, power plants, gas plants. They do not spare even the cities in donbass that until recently were under their control. Our former western partners, instead of condemning their ukrainian mentees, they are supplying them with more and more new types of weapons that reach areas kyiv could not previously reach. In doing this they are becoming accomplices in crimes against a civilian population. And given that the use of some artillery systems as the ukrainians themselves admit is impossible without coordinating the targets with suppliers, they are becoming coperpetrators and this primarily concerned the american rocket systems used to strike the correctional facility on july 29 claiming the lives of more than 50 ukrainian prisoners of war. We know that the president of ukraine is well aware of the fact that it is the armed forces of ukraine behind this crime despite the fact he sold us a false version today of who is russia being responsible for this. For military purposes and local residents are prohibited from leaving their homes. Their attempts to independently evacuate safe areas are brutally suppressed. There have been so many incidents of ukrainian artillery situated in ukrainian educational and medical facilities over the past few months that even prowestern organizations Like Amnesty International can no longer ignore them. Instead of forcing kyiv comply with International Humanitarian law our western colleagues after the tantrum thrown by ukrainian authorities used to going away with everything chose to publicly castigate Amnesty International itself instead. Today, mr. Dicarlo found ways to express concern with the upcoming trial of azov nazis but said nothing of their crimes including brutal torture, information of which is available to the International Community including ms. Dicarlo herself. The United Nations has enough information about this as well. This looks cynical and denigrates the value of freedom of speech. It is a shame that you dont understand this, but ordinary ukrainians are well aware of this. They encounter national battalions. Let me cite one example. In july we showed you a photo of an antipersonnel mine. Today, for greater clarity i will show you the training models for these. Ukrainian troops scattered by the hundreds under the donbass and territories liberated by the russian army and even threw them into the territory of russia. Imagine the such an inconspicuous thing lying on the ground or in the grass. It can be camouflage colored which makes it virtually invisible on the ground. Considering that the Ukrainian Armed forces scattered these mines far beyond the front line it is not soldiers they pose a threat to. They are designed to target civilians. Especially children who risk of stepping on them or picking up such a toy out of curiosity. 47 explosions have already been recorded in the donetsk peoples republic, proof of the sadistic, savage nature of the ukrainian regime and a symbol of its true attitude towards the people of the east and southeast of the country. People see and understand this. Hence the treatment of russian soldiers as liberators, which is widespread in the liberated territories. This in no way feeds into the narrative promoted by kyiv and its western sponsors. Ukraine is therefore resorting to terror and intimidation tactics in the kherson and kharkiv regions but this cannot change the minds of those who have seen the true face of the kyiv regime. Kyiv is losing the battle for mines. And its western backers waging a proxy war against russia are supporting this antipopular, regime. They are shooting themselves in the foot with futile attempts to isolate russia politically and economically. Again, that is something you will have to answer to your own voters and taxpayers. Never as you will have to enter to the International Community for the unprecedented, mendacious campaign to discredit russia you have released. Never before since nazi propaganda has the world encountered such a degree of falsification which western and ukrainian experts are using. There is no doubt history will give a correct assessment of this. Our albanian colleague propounded today about russian prisoners allegedly being recruited by the russian authorities. However, he forgot to mention those released from ukrainian prisons. Ukrainian prisoners who were handed out weapons in the very first days of the special military operation and who became themselves known by pillaging and murdering and continue to terrorize ukrainian towns. We will go into this in detail at one of the future meetings of the council. Mr. President , the socalled black Sea Initiative of the United Nations secretary general is considered a success story, especially in terms of the unhindered export of food from ukraine. However, there are Alarming Trends here as well. Over the 40 weeks of export operations only one of the 34 dry cargo ships went to africa. This is completely inconsistent with the originally stated goal of combating hunger in countries in dire need of grain. Here it is also worth recalling the public image failure with the sending of the first vessel that essentially, instead of bringing longawaited wheat to lebanon, brought corn instead, and corn for animal feed at that. There is much to think about regarding the comment made about the secretary general in the part about us august 19 when he said that grain exports and reduced prices will not bring relief to needy countries that cannot afford them anyway. This situation reveals the true causes of global Security Issues. Ukrainian grain has nothing to do with it. The main issue is the western countries, economic miscalculations and the consequences of antirussian sanctions that ruptured logistical and financial chains and prompted a sharp drop in market supply. Excuses about the supposedly targeted nature of unilateral measures cannot fill hungry peoples stomachs. We call on all people to take the nature of the black Sea Initiative with full seriousness and not propose resolving the financial and logistical problems that exopede the export of russian food and ford are letters to the global market. The green deal, 128 days from the day of signing would be tangible for russian trade operators equivalent to those for ukrainian experts. So fall there are significant reserves in this part of the grain deal. Mr. President , it is no secret that the western colleagues that requested todays meeting resolved to have it coincide with the Independence Day of ukraine. Much have been set up has been said about this today. A number of products directly point russia as a threat to ukrainian independence. We do not agree with this. Eight years after the launch of the mind on project it has become evident that the only threat to ukraine is the current government in kyiv. Over the years, robust mechanisms have been formed for the external governments of ukraine, visible to the naked eye. At all levels of government, there are western advisors without whose concurrence not a single major decision is made. In 2014 Victoria Nuland resolved issues regarding the formation of the Ukrainian Government by phone via the American Ambassador in kyiv at the current President Joe Biden boasted he used crude blackmail to remove the prosecutor general of ukraine. If this is independence then what is independence . Is there anything for ukrainians to celebrate on this day . Throughout Volodymyr Zelenskyys reign, the opposition has been completely eliminated in the country. Dissent has been suppressed. Opposition media has been shut down. People are being persecuted, arrested, and put in prison just for reading russian language news and watching russian channels. In accordance with new collaboration is some they are also being imprisoned for accepting humanitarian assistance for ukraine from russia. Ukraine has become fully transformed into a backwards, breathless, and is moving towards a complete ideological and medical bankruptcy. To order this profound russophobic degradation i would like to quote we are trying to kill as many of them as possible. The more russians we kill now the fewer our children will have to kill, that is all. This was said by the ambassador of the country in which the russians not only know but make up a significant part of the population. Does such a country in such an inhumane regime have a future . Are western colleagues can prolong its agony but not prevent the fiasco. Therefore, i would like to express my wish for the brotherly people of ukraine to finally gain freedom and the opportunity to build a society that will respect fundamental human rights and National Identity at live in peace with its neighbors. That our is already close despite the regime and its western patrons. Thank you. I thank the representative of the Russian Federation for their statement. I give the floor to the representative for mexico. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , my delegation thanks the secretarygeneral and then usg for their briefing. We listened with great interest and profound respect to the statement delivered by president zelenskyy of ukraine. Whose independence we are celebrating today, tomorrow, and forever. We have also followed very closely, and with a great deal of attention, the recent visits by the secretarygeneral to ukraine and kyiv. We recognize his leadership and efforts that lead to important agreements in particular to mitigate the impact of the food crisis. And, to give us back our hope. In this regard, we welcome the fact that the black Sea Grain Initiative continues to operate on a regular basis. This is made possible, the delivery at 720,000 metric tons of grain markets throughout the world as well as to the World Food Program supply. All of this appears, ultimately, and finally, to be having an important stabilizing impact. Mexico believes that progress within the framework of this black Sea Grain Initiative is a major diplomatic milestone in very difficult times. In this regard, i would also like to recognize the extremely important work of the president in facilitating this agreement. We urge all parties, in particular those with the capacity to influence, to spare no effort in order to keep the channels of communication open so as to establish dialogue and to put an end to hostilities. But, despite this progress, it is clear that the multilateral system, in particular the Security Council, has not been able to put an end to this war. The invasion of a sovereign country, ukraine, by russia is a flagrant violation of article 2. 4 of the u. N. Charter. Any territorial acquisition resulting from the illegal use of force is null and void. We must put an end to the war and the many violations of International Law, to get International Humanitarian law. Six months of bombings on hospitals, schools, residential areas. On basic civilian infrastructure including the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant and the destruction of cultural heritage. Six months of violation of the methods and means of warfare of violations of human rights including sexual and genderbased violence. And, the indiscriminate use of weapons. The use of indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions mines. We emphatically called to an end to these into that call for end to these attacks, ticket only those directed against the civilian population in indiscriminate attacks. We also call upon the parties to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautionary measures in conducting hostilities. We express our greatest support for the inquiries being carried out by the prosecutor of the icc as well as the Factfinding Mission to determine the facts with regards to the war crimes. Accountability is the fundamental pillar of our multilateral system and those responsible for these crimes that have been committed and are being committed in ukraine must be brought to justice. Mr. President , mexico reiterates our deep concern about this threat posed by illicit flows of weapons and trafficking of weapons into the region. We must maintain monitoring over the full lifecycle of weapons from their transfer through brokering, and concluding with the end users of those weapons. We must focus our action to ensure that weapons do not fall into the hands of those who should never have them, particularly, when hostilities are over. The work of mexico and this council will continue to focus on working towards solidifying peace in ukraine. Along these lines i would like to reiterate our urgent appeal to negotiate a cessation of hostilities and Seek Solutions through dialogue and diplomacy. I would conclude by reaffirming our support for the independence, sovereignty , and territorial integrity of ukraine with an internationally recognized borders. These principles are enshrined in the u. N. Charter. All of us here have committed to respecting and upholding these principles. Thank you. I thank the representative from mexico for their statement. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of china. Colleagues, chinas position on the ukraine issue is consistent and clear. We always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. The purposes and principles of the u. N. Charter are upheld, the legitimate security concerns of all countries are taken seriously, and, all efforts are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis supported. However, the ukraine crisis is still ongoing. The fighting is still expanding with the prospect of peace yet to materialize. The International Community eagerly awaits the resumption of peace. They also expect the Security Council to play a key role towards this end. What we needed to reflect on is, has the council found the right direction towards solving the issue . Has the council made earnest efforts to ease the situation . China is ready to work with all peaceloving countries to promote peace and it and facilitate the easing of the situation. At present, the priority should be the following points. First, there is a need to set up a safety valve for the conflict. The International Humanitarian law should guide the conduct of parties to the conflict. Civilians and civilian facilities cannot be the target of military strikes. Recently, frequent attacks on the zaporhizhia Nuclear Power plant are casting a Nuclear Shadow over the world. China is calling on all relevant parties to refrain from any action that may compromise the safety and security of the Nuclear Facility and avoid crossing the Nuclear Safety redline. We also expect the ieaa to conduct a visit to the powerplant as soon as possible to make a professional and Technical Assessment of the situation to prevent nuclear disaster. Second, there is a need to reduce humanitarian impact as much as possible. The International Community should make efforts to help refugees and displaced persons and reducing the impact of the conflict on the global food, energy, and financial stability. China commends secretarygeneral gutierrez and their other parties for the grain export agreement. We are pleased to see ships carrying over 700,000 tons of food leaving ukraine to multiple nations around the world. This goes along long way towards curbing International Rising food prices, easing Food Shortages in developing countries. At the same time, removing barriers to the export of food and fertilizers from russia is also highly important. We hope that the United Nations can, in accordance with its mou with russia help address the Chilling Effect caused by relevant countries abusive sanctions and ensure the stable and smooth running of the globay chain. These are challenging times for developing countries. Cutting oda will only make things worse. Developed countries should face up to the humanitarian impacts of these cuts and adopt responsible policies and measures. There is a need to leave an exit ramp for diplomatic solutions. Peace can never be achieved by imposing sanctions and pressure. Peace must be maintained by all parties working together. No matter how complex the situation is common how serious the differences are, the door to diplomacy and dialogue cannot be closed. The positive progress on the issue of grain export shows us the potential of diplomacy as the possibility of a political solution. We hope russia and ukraine continue the dialogue between them so as to return to diplomatic negotiations at an early date and create momentum and conditions needed for a ceasefire. The u. S. And nato should seriously reflect on the roles they have been playing and focus their efforts on what is truly conducive to peace instead of pouring oil over fire. Colleagues, the ukraine crisis and a serious every sentence a series of recent developments around the world show that in this era, urgency needs solidarity and cooperation to collectively address challenges. We must be highly vigilant against any deliberate attempt to provoke trouble and intensify division, confrontation. We must safeguard the global stability. We should never allow the world to slide into a new cold war. Facts have proven that the cold war mentality and block confrontation must be firmly rejected. For 30 years after the end of the cold war nato keeps expanding eastward. This is not make europe safer. But, it sowed the seed of conflict. We, humanity, are living in an indivisible Security Community and a Common Security is in the utmost common interest of all countries. Security of a country should not, at the expense of that of another country. Security of a region cannot be realized by blocks today in the 21st century. The cold war mentality and a zerosum game are a zerosum game are long outdated concepts. Obsessing over military force and seeking absolute security will only lead to constant escalation of the original situation and that is not in the interest of any party. \the facts have proven that decoupling and choosing sides must be firmly rejected. Economies around the world are deeply integrated. Certain countries impose unilateral sanctions through long arm jurisdiction creating weaponized trade and technology and insist on decoupling and building. This led to further difficulties in peoples lives in the countries and threatened the global food, energy, and finance security. Developing countries should not be made it to bear the brunt of geopolitical conflict and major country rivalries. They have the right to independently decide their Foreign Policy and should not be forced to choose sides. Facts have proven that double standards and a selective application must be firmly rejected. Upholding the purposes and principles of the u. N. Charter, and respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity should not be just quoted. All countries should actually abide by this. Different issues involving Different Countries, matching their words with deeds. With regard to state sovereignty and integrity, china consistently respects the sovereignty and integrity of other countries and is determined to firmly safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ukraine crisis is a major test of our generations ability to maintain peace. Standing at this historical crossroads, do we want turmoil, cooperation, or confrontation . Progress or regression . We must make the right choice. A choice worthy of the Peoples Trust and of our times. I resume my function as president of the council. I now give the floor to his excellency, the interim of the delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its 27 Member States. Macedonia, montenegro, albania, and the republic of moldova. The cessation process and potential candidates, bosniaherzegovina, georgia, aligned themselves with the statement. We welcome todays discussion on ukraine. It is essential that the Security Council is against russias war of aggression. I think the secretarygeneral and undersecretary general and i welcome president zelenskyy at this meeting. Let me congratulate ukraine on the 31st anniversary of its independence. The fact that today also marks six months since russias unprovoked and illegal aggression provides a stark reminder that independence can never be taken for granted. We recognize the tremendous courage displayed by ukraine and its people in defense of independence. As the undersecretary general told us, the office of the High Commissioner for human rights has verified over 13,000 civilian casualties since russias attack. The true numbers are considerably higher. We express our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims. We reaffirm our commitment to continue to support ukraine in any way we can. We reiterate the strong condemnation for the continued violation by russia of the u. N. Charter as well as the disregard of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions adopted in march by an overwhelming majority of United Nations members. We implore russia to immediately cease use of force against ukraine and call on the Russian Federation to comply with its obligation under International Law including the u. N. Charter, International Humanitarian law, and human rights law. The perpetration of war crimes and responsible government officials will be held accountable. We actively support all measures to ensure accountability for Human Rights Violations committed during russian aggression in ukraine. President s, the last months we have seen an emerging risk of Nuclear Calamity in europe. It is deplorable we even need to say a Nuclear Power plant should never need to be used as a military base. The deployment of Russian Military personnel and weaponry at the Nuclear Facility is unacceptable and disregards the safety and security that all iaea members have committed to respect. We urge the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw military forces and all unauthorized personnel from the zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant and its immediate surroundings so ukrainian authorities can resume responsibilities within ukrainian borders and legitimate operating staff can conduct their duties without outside interference, threats, or unacceptably harsh working conditions. An iaea Mission Needs to enter the Nuclear Power plant to address concerns in a manner that respects ukrainian sovereignty. The staff must be able to access all Nuclear Facilities in ukraine safely and without impediment and engage directly and without interference with ukrainian personnel responsible for the operation of these facilities. The Global Implications of russias aggression are well documented, mr. President. We support the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group with a goal of addressing skyrocketing food and energy prices, the black Sea Grain Initiative, and we acknowledge the positive role played by other actors such as the African Union leadership in coming to an arrangement. We call for continued and from implementation of the black Sea Grain Initiative with the idea of addressing rising food prices globally. We have committed to increasing ukrainian export of cereals and related products. We are supporting resilience in the most affected countries. The secretarygeneral recently visited ukraine and istanbul and that demonstrates his efforts to address this crisis. We support his efforts and that of his staff including the joint Coordination Center. We support the efforts to demilitarized Nuclear Power plants and a Factfinding Mission to investigate the incident in a detention facility. In conclusion, the United Nations Member States reaffirm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and extending to its territorial sea. President , this war is senseless. The humanitarian consequences for millions of civilians are disastrous, and russia could and it russia could end it tomorrow if it wanted. Until this happened, human lives are wasted and the wars global fallout continues in a time in history where we should focus on the planetary crises impacting us all. This is why we reiterate demand for the immediate cessation of military aggression against ukraine by the Russian Federation and the full, immediate, and unconditional withdrawal of its forces and military equipment from ukraines territory. In the meantime, we wish to assure our partners around the world that the eu will demonstrate Global Solidarity to address the impact of russian aggression especially on the most vulnerable. Thank you. I thank his excellency the representative from the eu for his statement. There are no other names inscribed on the list of speakers. The meeting is adjourned. Joined a discussion on the disparities experienced by like men and boys. Join the discussion. Middle and high school students, its your time and ask to shine and ask yourself what. Yourself whatyoure invited is your priority and why . Echo five minute to six minute video make a five minute to six minute video. Dont be afraid to take risks and there is a 5,000 grand prize. Videos must be submitted by january 20, 2023. Visit our website at studentcam. Org for rules, resources, and a stepbystep guide. When Congress Returns from its recess in september, the january 6 Committee Plans to resume its hearings. House and Senate Lawmakers will vote on government ending, the deadline to prevent a Government Shutdown is september 30. Watch live coverage of the house in september on cspan, the senate on cspan2. Also our free video app cspan now. Jerome powell says the fed will continue to raise Interest Rates and hold them at a higher level until inflation is in control. The comments came at the jackson hole symposium in wyoming. This is about 10 minutes