Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United Nations to reform the veto system in the UN Security Council. Everything must be done so that the international body can act effectively, Zelenskyj said in a video address to the Security Council on Tuesday. He also called for Moscow to be held accountable for the atrocities in Bucha. Russia is trying everything to “turn Ukraine into dumb slaves”.
One option is to “remove Russia as an aggressor and trigger for war so that it can no longer block decisions regarding its own aggression”. The Ukrainian President was alluding to Russia’s right of veto in the UN Security Council. Without reforms, the United Nations might be “shut down”, said the Ukrainian president. “We are dealing with a state that converts its veto into the right to cause death.”
Selenskyj described in detail terrible scenes from Bucha. After the withdrawal of Russian troops, hundreds of corpses were discovered in the city near Kyiv, which, according to Ukrainian information, indicate war crimes by Russian soldiers. In Bucha people were killed “in their apartments, in their houses” by grenades, women were raped in front of their children. Zelenskyy compared the actions of the Russian armed forces with those of “terrorists” such as supporters of the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS). People would be killed “for fun”.
UN: Nearly 1,500 civilians confirmed dead in Ukraine
According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, more than 7,000 reports of Russian war crimes have been received. Most of the victims were in Borodyanka. Some of the information cannot be independently verified. US satellite images apparently show that some of the bodies found in the Kiev suburb of Bucha were already there before Russian troops left.
The Kremlin denied any guilt and accused Ukraine of using special forces to stage alleged killings of civilians in Ukrainian cities in order to spread propaganda in the western media.
The United Nations has documented the deaths of 1,480 civilians in Ukraine since Russian troops invaded. In addition, 2,195 civilians were injured, said UN political affairs envoy Rosemary DiCarlo.
Many EU countries expel Russian diplomats
Meanwhile, more and more European countries are expelling Russian diplomats. After Germany and France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Romania, Portugal, Estonia and Latvia followed on Tuesday – a total of more than 200 diplomats were affected within 48 hours. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) is reluctant to take such a step. If he hears a specific case from the intelligence services, he will respond. But he will not expel a large number of diplomats. He is of the opinion that such expulsions should not be carried out on a national basis, but should be coordinated in Brussels beforehand.
The Kremlin criticized the mass expulsions as “short-sighted”. “Limiting the opportunities for diplomatic communication and diplomatic work under such unprecedented difficult and critical conditions is a short-sighted step,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. At the same time he announced Russian countermeasures.
Nehammer will travel to Selensky “in the next few days”.
Meanwhile, the Chancellery in Vienna announced on Tuesday that Prime Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) would travel to Ukraine “in the next few days” and plan a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy there. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Policy Representative Josep Borrell will also travel to Kyiv this week.
The aim is to continue to provide Ukraine with the best possible humanitarian and political support, the Chancellery said. Austria has already provided more than 17.5 million euros from the foreign disaster fund and delivered 10,000 helmets and over 9,100 protective vests for civilian use.
EU Commission proposes new sanctions
The European Union wants to impose sanctions in the energy sector once morest Russia for the first time: On Tuesday, the EU Commission proposed an “import ban on coal from Russia worth four billion euros a year”, as Commission President von der Leyen said. The import of wood, cement and alcoholic beverages such as vodka should also be prohibited.
In addition, Russian ships and ships operated by Russia should no longer be allowed to call at ports in the European Union. The sanctions already imposed on Russian banks are to be tightened.
Debate: What role does the West play?
With the obvious Russian crimes once morest the Ukrainian civilian population, the Ukraine war has reached a new dimension of terror. What might a political solution look like? What are the consequences of alleged crimes once morest civilians? What role does the West play?
Discuss with in debatte.ORF.at!