by Michelle Nichols and Gabriela Baczynska
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky implored world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to stand together against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying Moscow must be stopped from that the world can get busy overcoming pressing challenges.
For his first visit to the UN since the start of the war, in February 2022, which Russia presents as a “special military operation” but which Ukraine denounces as an invasion, Volodimir Zelensky was applauded when he is presented on the platform for his speech.
“Ukraine is doing everything possible to ensure that after Russian aggression, no one in the world will dare to attack any nation,” he said during the annual UN General Assembly.
“Militarization must be restricted, war crimes must be punished, deported people must return home and the occupier must return to its own territory,” the Ukrainian leader added.
“We must be united to do this – and we will.”
Volodimir Zelensky accused Moscow of manipulating food markets in order to get the international community to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Ukrainian territories claimed since the start of the war.
He spoke of the pressing crises facing the international community, emphasizing that climate change was getting worse and citing the recent earthquake in Morocco and floods in Libya.
“We must act united to defeat the aggressor and focus all our capabilities and energy on responding to these challenges,” he told members of the UN General Assembly.
Volodimir Zelensky also indicated that he would present on Wednesday, during a special meeting of the UN Security Council, the “details” of a peace summit which he had announced in the past that he hoped would be held by now. the end of the year.
(Reporting Gabriela Baczynska and Michelle Nichols; French version Jean Terzian)
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