Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused food and water shortages and it appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to ‘increase the brutality’ of his campaign, according to the US envoy to the United Nations.
American UN envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke Wednesday ahead of the General Assembly’s overwhelming vote to adopt a resolution censuring Russia for its war on Ukraine.
Russia’s war has ‘spurred mass hunger and caused so many to flee their homes’, Thomas-Greenfield said. She added that Russia is targeting critical infrastructure including ‘vital services which provide millions of people across Ukraine with drinking water to stay alive, gas to keep people from freezing to death’.
‘Now it appears Russia is preparing to increase the brutality of its campaign against Ukraine,’ Thomas-Greenfield said.
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‘We’ve seen videos of Russian forces moving exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine, which has no place on the battlefield. That includes cluster munitions and vacuum bombs, which are banned under the Geneva Convention.’
In a rare direct appeal, Thomas-Greenfield called on Russian forces to ‘put down your weapons and leave Ukraine’ and said ‘leaders are lying to you’.
Thomas-Greenfield urged UN members to reprimand Moscow as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hit the one-week mark.
‘This is an extraordinary moment. Now, at more than any other point in recent history, the United Nations is being challenged,’ she said.
‘Vote yes if you believe UN member states – including your own – have a right to sovereignty and territorial integrity. Vote yes if you believe Russia should be held to account for its actions.’
The assembly adopted the resolution on a 141-5 vote with Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea opposing. Among the 35 abstentions were China, India, Cuba, El Salvador, Iran and Pakistan.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, claimed that Ukraine’s leaders are ‘radicals’ and accused the West of putting ‘unprecedented pressure’ on a ‘large number of countries’ to support the resolution. He denied that Moscow is targeting civilians and warned that adopting the resolution could lead to further escalation in the conflict.
But Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said that Russian forces ‘have come to deprive Ukraine the very right to exist’.
‘The crimes are so barbaric that it is difficult to comprehend. Facing the total resistance of the Ukrainian population, Putin’s regime has proceeded to widespread use of indiscriminate weapons, such as multiple rocket launchers, and aerial bombs against residential areas,’ Kyslytsya said.
‘It is already clear that the goal of Russia is not an occupation only. It is a genocide.’
At least 136 civilians including 13 children been killed and about 400 people have been injured including 26 children, the UN estimates. More than 874,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the UN Refugee Agency said on Wednesday.
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