UN General Assembly: Zelensky outlines 5-part Ukraine war peace plan in scathing speech against Russia
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky detailed Russian atrocities and described a sweeping peace plan to end the war in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
“How can we allow the Russian army somewhere on Ukrainian soil, knowing that they are committing such mass murder everywhere?” Mr Zelensky asked. “We cannot. We must protect life. The world must protect life.”
He called on the international community to temporarily strip Russia of its UN powers, continue sanctions, and establish a special tribunal to oversee the peace process.
Joe Biden condemned Russia for making “overt nuclear threats against Europe” in a a speech of his own on Wednesday, as European foreign ministers convened an urgent meeting to discuss Russian mobilisation.
Mr Biden said Russia was carrying out a “brutal, needless war” against Ukraine as he announced support for countries impacted by food shortages that have resulted from the invasion.
His speech comes a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 reservists as his forces struggle to regain their footing after a series of Ukrainian victories on the battlefield.
Russia's war in Ukraine dominated the first day of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as world leaders gathered for the summit in person after three years in New York.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the 77th meeting was taking place at a time when the world is in "great peril" and "paralyzed" due to the war, climate chaos, hate, poverty and inequality. World leaders denounced Russia's invasion.
Pakistan PM to highlight devastating flood situation
Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he would apprise the world about his country’s “massive human tragedy” left in the wake of devastating floods.
“Reached New York a few hours ago to tell Pakistan’s story to the world, a story of deep anguish & pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods,” he tweeted yesterday.
“In my address at UNGA and bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan’s case on issues that call for world’s immediate attention.”
Mr Sharif is expected to hold bilateral talks with several world leaders and attend the reception of the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
Although there is no bilateral meeting scheduled with US president Joe Biden, Mr Sharif will reportedly interact with him informally during a reception.
Liz Truss to meet Biden and Macron in New York
Liz Truss will meet Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron in New York against the backdrop of Brexit tensions and questions over whether she regards the French leader a “friend or foe”.
On her first foreign trip as Prime Minister, Ms Truss flew overnight to the US for the annual UN General Assembly.
The visit will contain a series of meetings, including with the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen, and a speech to world leaders. It comes as political action resumes after the period of national mourning for the Queen.
Sam Blewett has more.
Liz Truss flying to New York for meetings with Biden and Macron
They will meet against the backdrop of Brexit tensions over Northern Ireland and the PM failing to say whether the French leader is ‘friend or foe’
Turkey rakes Kashmir at UNGA
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan raked up the Kashmir issue at the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir is at the heart of a decades-old dispute between India and Pakistan, where both countries claim the region as theirs, but control only parts of it.
Mr Erdogan, a close ally of Pakistan said, he hopes for “permanent peace” in the region.
“India and Pakistan, after having established their sovereignty and independence 75 years ago, they still haven’t established peace and solidarity between one another,” he said.
“This is much unfortunate. We hope and pray that a fair and permanent peace and prosperity will be established in Kashmir.”
Iranian president rails against Trump at UNGA
President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran railed against former president Donald Trump in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.
Mr Raisi attacked Mr Trump for authorising the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, whom he described as a “freedom seeking man who became a martyr,” as he held aloft a photograph of the late Quds Force commander.
Without mentioning Mr Trump by name, Mr Raisi said the “previous president of the United States of America effectively managed to sign the document of this savage crime, and illegal crime and immoral crime.”
“The proper pursuit of justice in the face of a crime that the American president admitted to have put his signature on will not be abandoned. We will pursue through a fair tribunal, to bring to justice those who martyred our beloved general Qassem Soleimani,” he added.
Mr Raisi also criticised the Trump administration for abandoning the comprehensive deal brokered by the US and European powers to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
“America trampled upon the nuclear accord,” said Mr Raisi, who was sworn-in as president only a year ago.
Mr Raisi’s speech comes as protests are breaking out across Iran in recent days over the death of a 22-year-old woman who was arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s religious dress code.
Police and security services have violently cracked down on those protests.
Israel’s ambassador walks out of assembly hall at start of Iran president’s speech
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations walked out of the general assembly hall as Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi began his speech on Wednesday.
Ambassador Gilad Erdan, held aloft a photograph of his grandmothers, Holocaust survivors who spent time in Auschwitz, and other family members who were killed.
In an interview ahead of the general assembly, Mr Raisi cast doubt on the Holocaust, as many other Iranian leaders have done in the past.
“There are some signs that it happened. If so, they should allow it to be investigated and researched,” he told CBS News.
Iran says it does not want nuclear weapons
Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi said his country does not want nuclear weapons and wishes to revive the agreement with the West over its nuclear programme, but cast doubt on Washington’s commitment to a deal.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking to build or obtain nuclear weapons, and such weapons have no place in our doctrine,” Mr Raisi said.
Former US president Donald Trump abandoned the comprehensive nuclear deal brokered by the US, under Barack Obama, and European powers.
“America trampled upon the nuclear accord,” said Mr Raisi, who was sworn in as president only a year ago.
“Our wish is only one thing: observance of commitments,” Mr Raisi said, before asking if Iran could “truly trust without guarantees and assurances” that the US will not do the same again.
European and US officials have been locked in negotiations with Iran to revive the deal, but progress has stalled recently.
Biden to announce $2.9bn in food aid at UNGA
Joe Biden will use his speech to the UN general assembly to announce $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and climate change.
"This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium to long term food security assistance in order to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis," the White House said.
Some $2billion of the funding will go to direct humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development.
Biden condemns Russia’s 'brutal, needless war’ in Ukraine
Joe Biden condemned Russia’s “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine in an address to the UN general assembly.
Mr Biden said Russia “attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map, and has “shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter.”
Mr Biden’s remarks came a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 troops to shore up his forces, which have been pushed back in recent weeks by the Ukrainian army.
“This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state,” Mr Biden added.
Biden says Russia made ‘overt nuclear threats’ against Europe
Joe Biden accused Russia of making “overt nuclear threats against Europe” in his address to the UN general assembly.
Mr Biden’s comments come a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin appeared to threaten a nuclear response to his military failures in Ukraine.
“President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of a non-proliferation regime,” Mr Biden said.
He added that Russia has “shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter.”
A day earlier, Mr Putin said in a national televised address: “Russia will use all the instruments at its disposal to counter a threat against its territorial integrity—this is not a bluff.”
Biden backs Iran protesters
Joe Biden expressed support for protests across Iran that were sparked by the death of a woman who arrested by the country’s morality police.
“Today, we stand with the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran, who right now are demonstrating to secure their basic rights,” he said in a speech to the UN general assembly.
Mr Biden’s comments come as Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the death of a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict religious dress code.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iranian Kurdistan, died last week after being arrested in Tehran for “unsuitable attire”.
Iranian authorities said Tuesday that three people have been killed in the unrest so far, including one member of the security forces.
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