Ukraine's President Accuses Russia of Criminal Aggression, Calls for Global Action at UN Security Council

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of waging a criminal and unprovoked aggression that violates the UN Charter during a meeting at the UN Security Council. Zelenskyy stressed the importance of adhering to the charter in order to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN member nations. He called for the restoration of all Ukrainian territory as the key to peace, and proposed reforms to allow the General Assembly to suspend or strip the veto power of permanent Security Council members in case of egregious violations.

Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia protested Zelenskyy's speech, calling it a spectacle, while Albania's council president, Edi Rama, defended the decision to let a nonmember speak first. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a clear violation of the UN charter and international law, condemning the war and calling for a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine.