The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday night at the request of Ukraine, the United States and six other countries, including Russia, which holds the rotating council presidency.
Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo opened the session late Monday with a warning that “the risk of major conflict is real and needs to be prevented at all costs.”
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Putin “has put before the world a choice” and it “must not look away” because “history tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path.”
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador demanded that Russia cancel its recognition of the independence of the separatist regions in the east, immediately withdraw its “occupation troops” and return to negotiations.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said Putin acted in response to Ukrainian aggression. He said Russia was open to diplomacy but wouldn’t allow “a new bloodbath in the Donbas.”
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China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun called for restraint and a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
According to a report, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is underway to consider the situation in Ukraine. The emergency meeting has been called at the request of the United States, Britain and France.
Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have risen since Russia’s declaration of two Ukrainian territories as independent states.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an administrative order recognizing the two separatist regions of eastern Ukraine as independent states.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has begun considering Russia’s decision a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Antonio Guterres is likely to call the Russian move a violation of UN Charter principles.
In response to his Russian counterpart’s decision, US President Joe Biden has banned trade with rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine.
The presidential decree states that there will be no new investment, trade or financial support from US citizens in these areas.
A White House spokesman said the order would ban people working in those parts of Ukraine.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has condemned Russia’s decision to recognize the so-called independent states of Donetsk and Luhansk.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Russia’s move would be a serious violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, security and international law. They call it a very dark symbol.
The European Union (EU) has said it will show solidarity with Ukraine in its response to the ruling.
The Security Council will make important decisions on the situation in Ukraine. It should be noted that Russia is chairing the Security Council.
