Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky watched as President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that no nation would be safe if Ukraine was “carved up” by Russia.
Biden delivered an address to the United Nations General Assembly, attended by both Zelensky – dressed in his traditional military uniform – and the Russian ambassador. Vaisily Nebenzya in the audience.
The US president criticized Russia’s “naked aggression” and vowed to continue funding Kiev as he again described the current moment as “a turning point in world history.”
Biden noted that “for the second consecutive year, this gathering dedicated to the peaceful resolution of conflicts is overshadowed by the shadow of war.”
The president called it an “illegal war of conquest” that Russia waged in Ukraine “without provocation.”
President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday morning. In his speech, he addressed Russia’s “illegal war of conquest” in Ukraine and reiterated the US commitment to help Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky watched as President Joe Biden told the United Nations General Assembly that no nation would be safe if the world allowed Ukraine to be “carved up” by Russia
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vaisily Nebenzya was caught looking at his phone as President Joe Biden addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and criticized Russia over its invasion of Ukraine
“Like every nation in the world, the United States wants this war to end,” he said. “No nation wants this war to end more than Ukraine.” And we strongly support Ukraine and its efforts to reach a diplomatic solution that creates a just and lasting peace.”
But he said: “Russia alone, Russia alone bears responsibility for this war.”
“Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately. “And only Russia stands in the way of peace, because the Russians’ price for peace is the surrender of Ukraine, the territory of Ukraine and the children of Ukraine,” Biden said .
“Russia believes that the world will grow tired and allow Ukraine to be brutalized without consequences,” the president added.
Biden then laid out what he thought the cost of that fatigue would be.
“But I ask you: If we abandon the fundamental principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body be confident that it will be protected?” he asked.
“If we allow the partition of Ukraine, will the independence of a nation be secured?” the president mused.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauds as President Joe Biden criticizes Russia for the war in Ukraine in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday
President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday
“I respectfully suggest that the answer is no,” Biden said. “We must confront this naked aggression today and deter other potential aggressors tomorrow.”
He did not mention the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“That is why the United States, along with our allies and partners around the world, will continue to stand with the courageous people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom,” Biden said.
He received applause from the audience for this statement.
However, the pool reporter in the room also observed UNGA attendees checking Instagram and Google Maps on their phones during the president’s address.
Nebenzya was also seen on his phone during Biden’s speech.
Biden called sovereignty and territorial integrity the “solid foundation of this noble body.”
“And universal human rights, your north star.”
He repeatedly addressed this concept in his speech, including by advocating for LGBTQ people around the world.
“These rights are part of our common humanity…if they are missing anywhere, their loss is felt everywhere,” he said.
The president also reiterated that the US did not want conflict with China.
“When it comes to China, I want to be clear and consistent. We are trying to manage competition between our countries responsibly so that it does not lead to conflict,” Biden said. “I said we are for risk reduction, not decoupling from China.”
Biden also promised to continue receiving foreign aid, even though some parts of the Republican Party wanted it on the chopping block.
“And as we work together to recover from global shocks, the United States will continue to be the world’s largest community and donor of humanitarian assistance at this moment of unprecedented need,” the president said.
Biden began his address by talking about his trip to Vietnam last week – a glimpse of what postwar relations could look like if Russia withdrew from Ukraine.
“Nothing about this trip was inevitable,” Biden said. “For decades it would have been unthinkable that an American president would stand alongside a Vietnamese leader in Hanoi and proclaim a mutual commitment to the countries’ partnership at the highest level.”
“But it is a powerful reminder that our history does not have to dictate our future,” the president said. “With concerted leadership and careful effort, adversaries can become partners, overwhelming challenges can be resolved, and deep wounds can heal.”