President Putin is creating a Russia that is geared for constant war: UK statement at the UN Security Council.
| Published date | 25 March 2024 |
M2 PRESSWIRE-March 25, 2024-: President Putin is creating a Russia that is geared for constant war: UK statement at the UN Security Council
(C)1994-2024 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
RDATE:22032024
Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Thomas Phipps at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security. Location: UN Security Council Delivered on: 22 March 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Thank you, President, and thank you High Representative Nakamitsu for your briefing today.
President, the Russian Representative has today once again attempted to recast Russia's war on Ukraine as a product of 'Western aggression'.
We have of course heard many different explanations from our Russian colleagues in this Chamber.
When Russia's full-scale invasion began, we were told that occupation of Ukraine was not part of the plan. That the goal was apparently to protect people who had been victimised and exposed to genocide. A claim which the International Court of Justice, of course, dismissed.
We have subsequently been subjected to spurious meetings on biolabs, on persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church and on Russophobia as a threat to international peace and security.
President, Russia's attempts to obfuscate and distract from reality are not only a waste of this Council's time, but they are also ineffective. No amount of linguistic gymnastics from our Russian counterparts can change the facts.
The truth regarding Russia's aggression is clear. For more than two years now, Russia has been engaged in neo-imperial war of aggression in flagrant violation of the UN Charter.
President Putin is creating a Russia, and Russian economy, that is geared for constant war with 40% of the country's federal budget dedicated to military and security spending alone.
It is clear that President Putin has no intention of peace any time soon and indeed, it begs the question of his plans beyond Ukraine too.
President, in conducting its war of aggression, Russia has relentlessly targeted Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including through double-tap strikes targeting first responders. Just last night, Russia attempted to carry out a massive missile attack on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Russia has kidnapped Ukrainian children. It has deployed UAVs from Iran, and ballistic missiles from North Korea in violation of this Council's resolutions and has press-ganged foreign nationals to fight its war from Ghana, from India, from Nepal.
...
To continue reading
Request your trial