Dhe American President Joe Biden has accused Russia of wanting to destroy Ukraine’s right to exist. “This war is simply about wiping out Ukraine’s right to exist as a state. And Ukraine’s right to exist as a people,” Biden said in his speech at the general debate at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday in New York. “Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe in, that should make your blood run cold.”
US President Joe Biden says Russia must be held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine. There was “more appalling evidence” of Russian atrocities and war crimes, Biden said in his speech at the general debate at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday in New York. The US worked closely with its partners to hold Russia accountable.
At the UN general debate, US President Joe Biden was open to reforming the United Nations Security Council. The most powerful UN body must remain credible and effective, Biden said in his speech at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on Wednesday. “For this reason, the United States also supports increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Council.” Countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean need permanent seats on the Security Council.
The United States had recently surprised with the push to reform the 15-member Security Council. Germany has been in favor of reform for years and hopes to have more influence on the body. There, the five permanent members USA, Russia, China, France and Great Britain have the right of veto and can thus block all actions. This became visible again and again during the Ukraine war. Above all, Russia and China are seen as opponents of reform.
The US government wants to provide more billions in aid to mitigate the food crisis in the world. US President Joe Biden pledged more than $2.9 billion during his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. According to the White House, the new funds add to the $6.9 billion the US government has already allocated this year to support global food security.
Climate crisis is pressing
US President Joe Biden has described climate change as an urgent crisis. “We don’t have much time left. We all know that we are already living in a climate crisis,” Biden said in his speech at the general debate of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday in New York. “We know that a large part of Pakistan is still under water and needs help. The Horn of Africa is experiencing an unprecedented drought. Families are faced with impossible choices, having to decide which child to feed and wondering if it will survive.” These are the human costs of climate change.
The effects of the corona pandemic, the climate crisis, rising energy prices and conflicts, above all the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, had interrupted global supply chains and caused global food prices to rise drastically. The Ukraine war and blocked shipments of millions of tons of grain have further increased the risk of famine in the Horn of Africa. According to the United Nations, especially in Somalia, millions of people are at risk of starvation because of an unprecedented drought.
Biden called for the United Nations-brokered grain deal to be extended between Russia and Ukraine. The deal signed at the end of July is valid for four months. In it, Russia pledged not to block the export of millions of tons of grain from Ukraine across the Black Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently threatened to scrap what was the most important agreement between the warring parties to date.
Biden accused Russia of justifying the food crisis with the sanctions imposed on Moscow because of the Ukraine war. That is wrong. “Our sanctions expressly allow Russia to export food and fertilizers without restrictions,” the US President said. “It is Russia’s war that is making food insecurity worse.”