In an emotional speech to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian troops of indiscriminately killing civilians “just for their amusement”, while also questioning the Security Council’s mandate itself.
Zelenskyi delivered his speech a day after his visit to the town of Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv, where shocking images of dead bodies lying on the street with shots in the neck, hands tied behind their backs and signs of torture circulated.
The President of Ukraine told about the consequences of Russia’s withdrawal from the city, about the execution of entire families, people who had their throats cut, and women who were raped and murdered in front of their children. Zelenskyy said Russia’s actions are no different from a terrorist group, “no different than other terrorists like ISIS,” except that Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The Ukrainian leader criticized the panel and asked the representatives: “Where is the security that the Security Council must guarantee? It’s not there even though there is a Security Council.”
He added: “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to remind you of Article 1, Chapter 1 of the UN Charter. What is the purpose of our organization? Its purpose is to keep the peace and ensure it is respected. And now the UN Charter is literally being violated from Article 1 onwards. So why all the other articles?
At least 1,480 civilians have been killed and at least 2,195 injured in Ukraine since the invasion began, from February 24 to April 4, a UN official said at the meeting, citing updated figures from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In Bucha, bodies of human rights groups were found scattered in the streets and basements and documented by independent journalists. Satellite imagery suggests some bodies have been there since at least March 18.
In his speech, Zelenskyy also said there was “not a single crime” that the Russians “didn’t commit” and claimed that the invading troops “purposefully sought out and killed everyone who served our country”.
“They shot women in front of their houses just as they were trying to call someone. They killed entire families, adults and children, and tried to burn the bodies,” said Zelenskyy, who visited Bucha on Monday after the alleged Russian massacres were reported.
He demanded that any Russian who gave “criminal orders” and “carried them out by killing our people” be tried, similar to the Nuremberg trials after World War II when the Nazis were tried.
Russia firmly rejects the allegations.
Russia, in turn, has repeatedly denied the atrocities. Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, responded to Zelenskyy’s comments, calling the allegations against the Russian military “unfounded”.
“We lay on your conscience baseless allegations against the Russian military, which have not been confirmed by any eyewitnesses,” Nebenzia said.
Recalling Zelenskyy’s election as President of Ukraine in 2019, the ambassador stated that hopes that the President would end the fighting in the Donbass region were “unfulfilled”.
Nebenzia also repeated earlier claims: “Many lies about Russian soldiers and military officials continue to spread.”
Addressing Zelenskyi directly, the ambassador concluded his remarks by stating that Russia “came to Ukraine” to bring peace, not “to conquer land”.
Nebenzia’s words echoed those of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who called the allegations not only “baseless, but a well-organized tragic show” and “a fabrication designed to denigrate the Russian military.”
Europe expels Russian diplomats
In a clearly concerted action, the countries of the European Union are one after the other evicting Russian diplomats from their capitals with the same argument: they see them as a threat to their national security.
Altogether there are already 247 this Tuesday, from Germany to France and Belgium to Lithuania, Italy and the Iberian Peninsula: Portugal and Spain each said goodbye to ten diplomats, although in the case of the Lusitanians the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that many of those expelled were not “professional diplomats”. The expulsion argument was the same for everyone, “personas non grata,” a common euphemism in espionage cases.
So far, Moscow has not reacted to the expulsions.
New sanctions on Wednesday
Meanwhile, a White House official has announced that he will introduce a new package of sanctions against Moscow on Wednesday, CNN reported.
The sanctions are presented in coordination with the G7 and the European Union and “will impose a very harsh price economically, financially and in terms of technological isolation”.
These include a ban on new foreign investment in Russia, tightened restrictions on financial institutions and state-owned companies, and more government officials and their families.