Zelenskyy demands expulsion of Russia from the UN: Terrorist state!

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of becoming a "terrorist" state carrying out "daily terrorist acts" and demanded Russia's expulsion from the United Nations in a virtual speech to the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy urged the UN to set up an international tribunal to investigate "the actions of Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil" and hold the country accountable.

"We must act urgently to do everything possible to make Russia stop the killing spree," Zelenskyy said, warning that otherwise Russia's "terrorist activity" would spread to other European countries and Asia, excluding the Baltic states. Poland, Moldova and Kazakhstan.

"What is punished at the level of particular criminals and criminal organizations should not go unpunished at the level of a state that has become a terrorist," he said. "Daily terrorist acts. There are no days off. "They work like terrorists every day."

Requesting Russia's expulsion, Zelenskyy cited Article 6 of the UN Charter, which states that a member who has "repeatedly violated" its principles may be expelled "from the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council".

However, such a move is virtually impossible, as Russia would be able to use its veto as a permanent member of the council to block any attempt to overthrow it.

Ukraine convened the council meeting following the recent escalation of Russian attacks, including Monday's airstrikes on a crowded shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk.

At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured, Zelenskyy said, adding that "dozens are missing", body parts have been found and there may be more casualties.

The Ukrainian leader began his speech by listing Russia's attacks in recent days and giving the first names and ages of many of the victims. He concluded his speech by urging 15 members of the Security Council and others in the room to remain silent to commemorate the "tens of thousands" of Ukrainian children and adults killed in the war.

All members rose, including Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy.

When he took the floor later, Polyanskiy protested against giving Zelenskyy a second chance to address the Security Council. He said the forum should not be turned into "a platform for a remote PR campaign" aimed at getting "more weapons" from those attending the NATO summit, which is now taking place in Madrid.

Ai përsëriti pretendimin e pabazuar të Moskës se nuk kishte pasur asnjë sulm rus në qendrën tregtare Kremenchuk, por kishte goditur një objekt të magazinimit të armëve. Dhe ai tha se "operacioni special ushtarak" në Ukrainë do të vazhdojë.

Ambasadorja e Britanisë në OKB, Barbara Woodward, u përgjigj se Rusia “mund të përpiqet të pretendojë se asgjë nuk është e vërtetë dhe të bëjë pretendime të egra për provokime ukrainase”, por fakti i pamohueshëm është se Rusia pushtoi Ukrainën.

"Këtu është një agresor," tha ajo. "Dëshmitë do t'i kapin dhe do të ketë përgjegjësi për këto krime."

US Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Mills, like many other Western representatives, accused Russia of destroying the mall, saying the attack "fits into a cruel model where the Russian military kills civilians and destroys civilian infrastructure in Ukraine."

He stressed that there is a lot of publicly available evidence "that Russia and only Russia" are responsible for this and other attacks.

Ambassador Zhang Yun of China, a close ally of Russia, called the conflict "a geopolitical crisis" and urged the international community to work together to create conditions for Russian-Ukrainian peace talks and a ceasefire.

Source: Euronews