Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations has directly addressed his Russian counterpart over the country’s military "aggression", saying “there is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, ambassador”.
Sergiy Kyslytsya spoke to Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, during a heated emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday night (local time).
He addressed the council almost an hour after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on state television the start of a “military operation” in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
“The Ambassador of the Russian Federation, three minutes ago, confirmed that his president declared a war on my country,” he said.
“When I was coming here an hour ago or so, I was intending to ask the Russian Ambassador to confirm on the record that the Russian troops will not start firing at Ukrainians today, and go ahead with the offensive.
“It became useless 48 minutes ago. Because about 48 minutes ago, your president declared war on Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s ambassador asked his Russian counterpart, which currently holds rotating presidency of the Council, to “say on the record that at this very moment, your troops do not shell and bomb Ukrainian cities. That your troops do not move in the territory of Ukraine”.
“You have a smartphone, you can call [Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov now,” he said.
“If you are not in a position to give an affirmative answer, the Russian Federation ought to relinquish responsibilities of the president of the Security Council, pass these responsibilities on to a legitimate member of the Security Council — a member that is respectful of the Charter.”
He urged members to convene an emergency meeting immediately, “and consider all necessary decisions to stop the war”.
“Because it is too late, my dear colleagues, to speak about the escalation. Too late. The Russian president declared a war on the record.”
Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya, holds up a phone as he speaks at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council Wednesday, 23 February, 2022, at UN headquarters. Source: AAP / UNTV/AP
He welcomed the decision of some Council members to “meet as soon as possible to consider the necessary decision that would condemn the aggression that you launch on my people”.
“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, ambassador,” he said.
In a series of heated exchanges, Mr Nebenzia said Russia was merely carrying out "a special military operation”.
"This isn't called a war," he told his Ukrainian counterpart.
Mr Nebenzia later added: "I wanted to say in conclusion that we aren't being aggressive against the Ukrainian people but against the junta that is in power in Kyiv."
UN chief says ‘the conflict must stop now’
Speaking after the emergency Security Council session, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a direct, impassioned plea to Mr Putin to stop — "in the name of humanity" — the Russian military escalation on Ukraine.
Mr Guterres said it was “the saddest day” of his tenure as UN chief.
"President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia,” he said.
"In the name of humanity, do not allow to start in Europe what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century.
"The conflict must stop now.”
Soon after Mr Putin's announcement, explosions were reported in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities.
Weeks of intense diplomacy at the UN and elsewhere and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Mr Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine
The United States said it would present a resolution condemning Russia's aggression at the Security Council on Thursday, with a vote expected the following day.
"The council will need to act," said US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
With AFP.
