Amid ongoing military operations by Russia against Ukraine, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Friday (local time), said this is a war of choice as Moscow's latest attack is so bold and brazen that it threatens our international system.
"We are here today because of Russia's unprovoked, unjustified, unconscionable war on Ukraine," Thomas-Greenfield said at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine.
Thomas-Greenfield said, "This is a war of choice. Russia's choice. Russia chose to invade its neighbor. Russia chose to inflict untold suffering on the Ukrainian people and on its own citizens. Russia chose to violate Ukraine's sovereignty, to violate international law, to violate the UN Charter."
US Ambassador to the United Nations highlighted the ongoing situation in Ukraine and said, "all across Ukraine, people are fleeing for their lives. Residents of Kiev, and Kharkiv have left their homes with only the belongings they could stuff in their backpacks to take shelter in subway stations which have now become bomb shelters."
She said that some reports of attacks on kindergartens and orphanages in Ukraine.
"Babies, newborn babies in an intensive care unit have been evacuated into makeshift bomb shelters too. We have seen heart-wrenching images of fathers sobbing as they say goodbye to their young children and sending their families away to safety, while they stay behind to defend their country," US Ambassador to the United Nations said.
She said that according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 50,000 people have fled Ukraine in less than 48 hours.
"We've also seen everyday Russians bravely speak out and demonstrate in cities across Russia against President Putin's decision to plunge them into a war with their neighbor. They do not want to sacrifice Russian lives for Putin's ambition," she said.
She further said that UN High Commissioner for Refugees charged with maintaining international peace and security was created to prevent exactly this kind of aggression from ever happening again.
"Russia's latest attack on our most fundamental principles is so bold, so brazen that it threatens our international system as we know it," she said.
Thomas-Greenfield said that the people of Ukraine will soon need food and water and shelter and medical aid.
"They will face displacement and lose everything they've worked to build. For these reasons, we and Albania in consultation with our allies and partners have proposed this draft resolution holding Russia to account for its aggression against Ukraine," she added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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