UN Assembly: Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of “genocide” for kidnapping Ukrainian children

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russia is carrying out “genocide” by kidnapping children, in a call for solidarity before the United Nations General Assembly.

“Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine and all ties with their families are broken. And this is clearly a genocide,” Zelensky said.

In a speech in which he wore olive green, as he has always done since the start of the war, Zelensky reiterated his call for a summit of like-minded nations.

“We are preparing a World Summit for Peace. I invite all of you – all those who do not tolerate any aggression – to jointly prepare the summit,” said the Ukrainian president, who spoke for the first time in person at this UN forum , speaking in English.

The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky at the UN. Photo EFE

Zelensky also stated that Russia – a permanent member of the Security Council – cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

“Terrorists have no right to possess nuclear weapons,” he said.

He also denounced the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin for using both energy and food as a “weapon” to pressure the world.

The grains

“The aggressor is using many other things as weapons and he uses those things not only against our country, but also against yours,” he said.

The Ukrainian president used his speech to alert the world that Russia, by attacking Ukraine, endangers everyone by using nuclear power, food or energy products as weapons.

Thus, he said that Russia’s abandonment of the Black Sea Agreements – which allowed the export of Ukrainian grain and Russian fertilizers through a safe corridor – is affecting very diverse countries, among which he mentioned Algeria, Spain, Indonesia and China.

The most imminent danger at the moment is for the countries bordering Russia, which “has almost absorbed Belarus and is now an obvious threat to Kazakhstan and other Baltic states,” Zelensky warned.

The Ukrainian leader also referred to the fissures that appeared within the European Union on Monday, when three countries in the bloc (Poland, Slovakia and Hungary) announced that they would veto Ukrainian grain.

“Some of our friends in Europe play with solidarity in the political theater by adding tensions over the grain, but in reality they are paving the way for Moscow,” Zelensky warned.

In any case, his speech was not as applauded as last year, when he addressed the Assembly by videoconference; In the past year, it has become evident that several African and Latin American countries, in addition to China, are advocating that Ukraine enter into peace negotiations without conditions.

On Wednesday, President Zelensky will participate in person at the Security Council, supported by several European leaders, and then plans to travel to Washington, where he will speak before the United States Senate.