Russia and the US trade harsh accusations at the UN Security Council

At Russia's request, the UNSC convened to discuss arms transfers to Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his speech there, "All impartial experts clearly see that the most significant obstacle to a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis is the West's support for Kyiv."

Arguing that the US, through its support for Ukraine, is not only waging war on Russia but also attempting to economically weaken Europe, Lavrov assessed, "European Union countries are obediently fulfilling what Washington demands of them and are providing weapons to Ukraine. They are emptying their own warehouses. These warehouses will then be refilled by the American military industry."

Stating that "if Ukraine stops fighting, Russia will too," Lavrov expressed that if Russia were to end its "special military operation," the "Ukrainian regime" would again strive to erase "every trace of Russia."

"NEGOTIATIONS MUST BEGIN URGENTLY"

China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, warned that the situation in Ukraine is beginning to turn into a protracted conflict, saying, "China finds this worrying. The conflict is triggering global instability and insecurity."

Jun stated that all parties must work to end the crisis in Ukraine and focus on common security.

Arguing that NATO's eastward expansion would further deepen the security and trust gap, Jun said, "There will be no winner in the conflict. Negotiations must begin urgently."

Stating that the clashes will only lead to more civilian deaths, Jun underscored that peace cannot be achieved by transferring more weapons to the battlefield.

"RUSSIA IS USING IT AS A STAGE"

US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood criticized Russia's request for a meeting on arms transfers to Ukraine, accusing it by saying, "Russia is using the Council as a stage to conduct its disinformation campaign."

Stating that thousands of Russian soldiers are on Ukrainian soil while not a single Ukrainian soldier is on Russian soil, Wood said, "If their government respected international law, the UN Charter, and UNSC resolutions, the Russian representative's accusations would be more credible."

Wood argued that no baseless accusation or conspiracy theory could change the fact that Russia started the war, and stated that Russia's invasion has failed.

Stating that Russia is therefore fueling the fire and purchasing weapons from Iran and North Korea, Wood emphasized that this also violates UNSC resolutions.

"REVEALED GENOCIDAL INTENT"

Permanent Representative of Ukraine Sergiy Kyslytsya pointed out that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had left the session, saying he was not surprised.

Pointing out that the statements at the UNSC would be used as evidence in future courts dealing with war crimes, Kyslytsya used the expression, "Even though injustice has become widespread now, justice will prevail."

Referring to the statement by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, "The existence of Ukraine is dangerous for Ukrainians. They will understand that life with Russia under a common state, even if they do not want it now, is better than death," Kyslytsya emphasized, "This is revealing genocidal intent."

"MUST BE ENDED URGENTLY"

UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Adedeji Ebo underscored that all arms transfers must take place in accordance with the international legal framework, including UNSC resolutions.

Reminding that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law, Ebo said, "All such attacks must be ended urgently."

Ebo noted that there is information regarding the transfer of cluster munitions, which he said is very concerning.