Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the United Nations on Tuesday (November 5) to act and reform its system which gives Security Council permanent member Russia a veto, saying everything must be done to ensure the international body works effectively.
In a passionate address to the United Nations Security Council, he questioned the value of the 15-member U.N. Security Council, which has been unable to take any action over Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine because Moscow is a veto power, along with the United States, France, Britain and China.
In the live video address from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Zelenskiy described in detail grim scenes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, saying Moscow wanted to turn Ukraine into ‘silent slaves’.
He said Russian servicemen and those who gave orders must be held accountable as he accused Russian troops of committing “the most terrible war crimes” since World War Two.
Russia says it is carrying out a “special military operation” that aims to destroy Ukraine’s military infrastructure and “denazify” it, and denies attacking civilians. Ukraine says it was invaded without provocation.
The United Nations said some 11 million Ukrainians — more than a quarter of the population — have fled their homes. More than 4 million of those people have left Ukraine.
(Reuters)