Biden denounces 'Russian aggression' at UN, where all eyes are on Zelensky
All eyes were on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly, where his US counterpart, Joe Biden, called on all countries to "stand up to Russian aggression".
"Russia thinks the world will get bored and let it mistreat Ukraine without consequences," Joe Biden said.
"If we allow Ukraine to be dismembered, is the independence of nations still guaranteed? The answer is no," he insisted, to applause from the Ukrainian president and the audience.
A year ago, Volodymyr Zelensky was exceptionally allowed to speak via video message.
This time, he is here in person for this annual High Mass, where he will speak on Tuesday at noon, before participating in a special meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday and leaving for Washington, where he will be received at the White House on Thursday.
"For us it is very important that our words, all our messages, are heard by our partners," he said on Monday as he met with Ukrainian soldiers wounded on the front lines in a New York hospital.
"Ukraine will present a concrete proposal to the UN member states on how to strengthen the principle of territorial integrity and improve the UN's ability to thwart and stop aggression," he said on X (formerly Twitter).
"Dialogue"
Since the Russian invasion, an overwhelming majority of countries in the UN General Assembly have adopted several resolutions supporting Ukraine and its territorial integrity or calling for Russian withdrawal.
But after a year and a half of war and its cascading impact on the world, especially on food security, some southern countries are calling for a diplomatic solution.
"I am aware that for some leaders it is important to find a peaceful solution," said European Council President Charles Michel. But "for this peace to be lasting, it must respect the principles" of the UN, he warned.
In this context, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was scheduled to speak from the podium.
"The war in Ukraine highlights our collective inability to implement the goals and principles of the UN Charter," he said. But "no solution will be lasting if it is not based on dialogue," added the Brazilian leader, who is scheduled to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
Unlike several Western powers, Brazil has never imposed financial sanctions on Russia or agreed to supply arms to Kiev, and the country is trying to position itself, like China, as a mediator.
Moscow, for its part, expressed confidence in Beijing's support, underlining the two capitals' "similar" positions on the United States and the Ukrainian conflict, following an exchange between Russian diplomatic chief Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
"New rifts"
In his opening address, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres painted a bleak picture of a "world turned upside down", with geopolitical tensions "worsening" and global warming "compromising our future more directly".
Symbolic of this "compilation" of crises were the floods in Derna, Libya, "a sad snapshot of the state of our world, swept by the torrent of inequality and injustice, and paralysed by the challenges we face," he lamented.
The thousands who lost their lives "were victims of many scourges. Victims of years of conflict. Victims of climate chaos. Victims of leaders who, there and elsewhere, have failed to find the path to peace".
Ahead of Monday's General Assembly, developing countries reminded the rest of the world of their pledges to improve the lot of humanity by 2030, insisting in particular on a reform of the international financial architecture.
A request reiterated by Antonio Guterres, who sees it as one of the reasons for the fragmentation of the world.
"Today we see new cracks opening up in the world. Imperialism is showing its disgusting face," commented German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday.
Apart from the US, no other permanent members of the Security Council (France, the UK, China and Russia) will be represented at the highest level at this annual meeting.
However, Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi will take the floor on Tuesday when his country and the US conduct a rare prisoner exchange under a deal that includes the transfer to Tehran of $6 billion in frozen funds.