Burc Eruygur
23 February 2023•Update: 24 February 2023
ISTANBUL
Ukraine’s top diplomat called on the UN to support a draft resolution submitted by Kyiv to the international organization, as the war between Moscow and Kyiv approaches its first year.
“I, therefore, call on members of the United Nations to support the draft resolution entitled ‘Principles underlying a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.’ The aforementioned resolution will contribute to our joint efforts to bring the war to an end as well as protect the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter,” Dmytro Kuleba said during an address to the UN General Assembly.
According to a statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kuleba said Kyiv can restore its territorial integrity and respect for the UN Charter with “the support of the world,” and that such a predicament “will discourage Russia and other aggressors from wanting to attack other nations.”
“To achieve this noble goal, we need to send a strong and clear message that the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of states, should serve as the basis for the process of peaceful resolution,” Kuleba said.
He also said Ukrainian troops are not the ones standing on foreign lands and that Kyiv exercises its legitimate right to self-defense, and asked: “Can anyone tell what Russians die for in a foreign land?”
“This is why calls to cease delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine are badly misplaced. It’s perfectly legitimate to help a nation that has been attacked and is justifiably defending itself. It is an act of defense of the UN Charter act,” he said.
He added that the Russia-Ukraine war has no two sides, but “an aggressor and a victim,” further reminding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-step peace formula, which was laid out at the last G-20 summit in Indonesia, with its final step being the signing of a peace accord.
Almost 12 months have passed since Russia declared its "special military operation" in Ukraine, which has resulted in the death of at least 8,006 civilians and 13,287 injuries, according to the latest UN figures.
