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U.N. General Assembly Holding Emergency Session. Aired 10:28-11a ET

Aired February 28, 2022 - 10:28:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:28:36]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, the United Nations General Assembly is holding an emergency session on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is the first time an emergency session has been held since 1982. The representative for Ukraine is just about to deliver his speech. Let's go live to the United Nations.

SERGIY KYSLYTSYA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: And everyone in the world knows that Russia and Russia alone started these invasion now facilitated by Belarus. This war was not provoked. It was chosen by someone who is right now sitting in the bunker. We know what happened with the person who sat in the bunker in Berlin in May 1945. Before I continue with my formal statement I would like to switch to Russian and invite you to put on the headphones because I would like to read from the screenshot of the smartphone or smartphone or killed Russian soldier.

[10:30:15]

KYSLYTSYA: That's an actual screenshot from someone who is dead already.

(through translator): How are you doing? Why has it been so long since you responded? Are you really in training exercises? Asked the mother of the killed soldier. Moments before he was killed. Mama, I'm no longer in Crimea. I'm not in training sessions. Where are you then? Papa is asking whether I can send you a parcel. What kind of a parcel, mama can you send me? What are you talking about? What happened?

Mama, I'm in Ukraine. There is a real war raging here. I'm afraid. We are bombing all of the cities together, even targeting civilians. We were told that they would welcome us. And they are falling under our armored vehicles, throwing themselves onto the wheels and not allowing us to pass. They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard. This is several moment before he's killed.

Imagine if you want to just visualize the magnitude of the tragedy. You have to imagine next to you, next to every nameplate of every single country in this General Assembly. More than 30 souls have killed Russian soldiers already. Next to every name of the every single country in this assembly. 30 plus killed Russian soldiers. Hundreds of killed Ukrainians. Dozens of killed children and it goes on and on and on.

So, just imagine those skilled people next to you when you will listen to my formal statement. Big militarized power seeking for geopolitical greatness has launched a full-fledged military offensive against the smaller neighbor aimed at invading the country. Deadly airstrikes dropped on civilians hats across the entire country and the Russian troops crossed Ukraine's borders from the territory of Russia, Belarus, and the occupied parts of Ukraine's Donbass and Crimea.

Does it remind you of something, doesn't it? Indeed. Very clear parallels could be drawn with the beginning of the Second World War. And the Russia's course of action is very similar to what their spiritual mentors from the Third Reich employed on the Ukrainian land eight years ago. Just one, the most recent example. Example of human sufferings, example of war crime. As all of us were on our way to the General Assembly today the Russian army shelled with grad multiple rocket launcher systems, the residential areas of the city of Kharkiv.

The second biggest in Ukraine, innocent civilians have been killed and wounded. The exact numbers is very difficult to estimate because of the warfare while the negotiations are still on the way at the border with Belarus. With therefore express our gratitude for overwhelming support that made this decision on the emergency session possible.

[10:35:08]

KYSLYTSYA: We are grateful to the president of the General Assembly for his taking care of this idea well in advance. We appreciate the engagements -- engagement of the U.N. Secretary General who has taken a very strong stance in support of peace, in support to the U.N. Charter. We have been prompted to call for an emergency special session as the level of threat to the global security has been equated to the -- to that of the Second World War.

Or even higher, following Putin's older to put an alert Russian nuclear forces. What a madness, if he wants to kill himself, he doesn't need to use nuclear arsenal. He has to do what they say -- what the guy in in Berlin did in the bunker in May 1945. The Security Council addressed the issue of the Russian war against Ukraine, and the decision was not adopted due to the obvious reason.

The country adapting to occupy Ukraine since 2014, has occupied the seat of the -- of the council member since 1991. Before we do not accept the Russian logic, that the Security Council was unable to act due to one-sided and unbalanced approach. The only guilty party is the Russian Federation. Distinguished delegates, Russia uses all its military potential to attack Ukraine and has begun redeploying reserve units on the border with Ukraine.

It fires cruise and ballistic missiles at cities, attacks with elevation tanks and artillery, sensor subversion and reconnaissance groups which mark residential buildings in preparation for the attacks. Russia's missiles are now aimed at destroying the infrastructure objects, they targeted the radioactive waste disposal sites near Kiev, the fuel base in the town of Vasylkiv that is effectively Kyiv's suburb.

The objects of logistic infrastructure including bridges, airports, and water reservoirs remain among the targets. Such towns as Chester and (INAUDIBLE) Lugansk are now nearly destroyed as well as residential buildings in and around Kiev and Kharkiv. The Russian forces seized the Chernobyl nuclear power station and the part of southern Kherson region including the North Crimean canal. Due to the active moving of Russian heavy militaries through the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the radiation level has increased rapidly.

In the Black Sea, Russian warships deliberately attacked two civil vessels under the flags of Panama and Moldova, approaching Ukraine. These constitutes of flagrant violation of the International Law of the Sea. Incredibly sad -- one of the vessels had the Russian crew. Still it was attacked by the Russians. Russians keep attacking kindergartens and orphanages. That's committing war crimes and violating the Rome Statute.

Hospitals and mobile medical aid brigades are also targeted by the Russian shelling, and they sabotage groups working in Ukraine cities and towns. The Russian military fired on ambulance crews in the areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv (INAUDIBLE) district of Sumy region. Russian tanks shut down a bus with civilians. Later the Russian military does not allow -- did not allow ambulances on the spot.

As of today, 352 people including 16 children were killed on Ukrainian side and 2040 Ukrainians including 45 children wounded during the first five days of the Russian invasion. And these number is growing nonstop. I have already told about the morning shellings in Kharkiv and we cannot really estimate at this moment how many were killed.

[10:40:07]

KYSLYTSYA: In response Ukraine has activated his right for self defense according to the Article 51 of the U.N. Charter. The Russian troops are suffering losses, aircrafts, helicopters, tanks, trucks personnel, the aggressive horses have already lost more than 5000 in manpower during the first days of aggression. Excellencies. The general assembly should be vocal in demanding from the Russian Federation to stop its offensive against Ukraine.

In recognizing Russian actions as an act of aggression against sovereign and independent state, in demanding from Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its forces from the territory of Ukraine with -- within internationally recognized borders, in demanding from the Russian Federation to reverse the decision related to the status of certain areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.

In demanding full compliance with the provisions of international humanitarian law. The general assembly should also be clear with regard to the teachers role of Belarus, and its involvement in aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Distinguished members of the general assembly, what is happening now in Ukraine has already had the security and humanitarian implications for all of you.

Immediately for Europe a bit later for the rest, including in terms of food, security, energy, security, financial markets, collapse of economies. Last September, my president said while delivering his statement, at the high level segment or the 76th session of the general assembly, and I quote, "I understand that criticism of the U.N. is often hurt. But we criticize ourselves." If we fail to respond, now, we will face much more than criticism.

We will face oblivion. It must not happen. Now it is time to act. Time to help Ukraine that is paying now the ultimate price for freedom and security of itself and over the world. If Ukraine does not survive intention -- survive, international peace will not survive. If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive, have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next.

Now we can save Ukraine, save the United Nations. Save democracy and defend the values we believe in. And that Ukrainians are fighting for and paying with their lives. The Russian delegate will speak shortly. Putin has done everything to legitimize the Russian presence in the United Nations. But I wonder if the Russian presence in the United Nations has ever been legitimate.

I wonder if ever these whole -- this assembly voted in accordance with paragraph two of Article Four on admission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.

Either in December 1991 or in January 1992 or wherever thereafter. I want to ask the delegates whose countries voted for admission of the Russian delegation to the United Nations to raise their hand, to confirm that Russia was admitted to the United Nations according to the charter. Please gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, please raise your hand if your country voted in the formal session of the general assembly.

In reply to the letter by President Yeltsin dated December 24, 1991 when he told the United Nations that Russia would like to be a continued or state of the demised, Soviet Union. Anyone? Should I put my glasses if my vision fails me, and I don't see any hand raised? Any country? Anyone voted for Russia membership? I leave you with that. And think about it. When you listen to the Russian delegate.

ANDERSON: Well, following a moment of silence for the victims of the conflict of Ukraine, during which one source tells me you could have heard a pin drop in the chamber. This is the United Nations General Assembly. This is an emergency session the first held since 1982. And you've just heard from the Ukrainian representative who said this war was not provoked. It was chosen by someone who is right now, he said, sitting in a bunker.

And he said, we know what happened to the person who sat in a bunker in Berlin in May 1945. And he went on to draw parallels between what is happening now to what happened at the beginning of the Second World War. And he took a moment to address the chamber in Russian showing a screenshot between a Russian shot soldier and his mother, explaining how awful the situation was several moments before that soldier was killed.

He told the chamber that 362 Ukrainians are dead, including 16 children, over 2000 injured, 45 of those children. Let's listen to the Russian representative speaking now.

VASILY NEBENZYA, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF RUSSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS (through translator): -- now the general assembly, at the same time, Russian actions are being distorted and thwarted. And there is a number of incredible fakes is staggering, with the use of -- with media outlets and social networks proliferating these lies for this reason today I wish to focus on the real reasons for the crisis that has emerged and its possible consequences.

I wish to emphasize the following. The root for the current crisis lies in the actions of Ukraine itself for many years, it sabotaged and flouted its direct obligations under the Minsk package of measures. Just recently, very recently, there was a hope that in Kiev they would reconsider and that they would indeed comply with what they signed on to back in 2015. For that, first and foremost, what was necessary, was direct dialogue I set out in the document between the (INAUDIBLE)

However, the latest confirmation from the senior leadership of the country, was that Ukraine was unwilling to engage in this dialogue. And they took unwilling to take steps to grant special status to Donbas, as set out in the Minsk agreements. And this was actively supported by the Western patrons of Kyiv. And this definitively persuaded us of the fact that we no longer have a right to allow the residents of Donbas to suffer any further.

And so far as Ukrainian provocations against the people of Donbas in February did not. And, in fact, they escalated the leadership of DPR and LPR turned to us with a request to deliver military support in line with bilateral agreements on cooperation which were arrived at with their recognition, concurrently with recognition. And this was a logical step to the ongoing, the persistent aggressive actions undertaken by the Ukrainian regime.

The Ukrainian authorities which has, of late been actively armed and incited by a number of states were under the misconception that with the indulgence of Western, patrons and sponsors, they would be able to address the issues in vast militarily, it is difficult -- otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the ongoing intensification of shelling and sabotage act on the territory the republics which I mentioned.

The people of Donbas and Lugansk continue to have to take shelter in basements. There was a flood of refugees entering the Russian Federation and the yet still the nature of the Ukrainian Armed Forces operation did not change.

[10:50:02]

NEBENZYA: And yet western partners did not wish -- turned a blind eye to this and they merely echoed Ukrainian tall tales about the allegations that Donbas people were shelling on themselves. The worsening suffering of the residents of Donbas is something that has left Western sponsors on moved in recent years. This discussion at the City Council General Assembly, there was no empathy whatsoever, no compassion for the people Donbas and Lugansk.

It seems that these four million people simply don't exist for them. And as a result of the ongoing threats targeting the people of LPR and DPR, given the lack of prospects for addressing the problems in the area under the Minsk operations due to the failure to fulfill them and the Russian president took a decision for especially military -- special military operation to be carried out in Donbas.

Occupation of Ukraine is not part of this -- of these plans. The goal of a special operation is to protect the people who for eight years were subjected to torment and genocide by the Kyiv regime. To that end, there is a -- there's a need to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. We further will strive to hold accountable those who carried out countless brutal crimes against the people -- the residents, including residents of the Russian Federation.

This decision was taken in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter with a sanction of the Federation, Council of the Russian Federation in pursuant of the agreement on friendship and cooperation, DPR and LPR wish to recall further that the principles, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is something which we are being accused of breaching vis-a-vis Ukraine.

The declaration of principles of international law on friendly relations between peoples was adopted in 1970. And it needs to be unstintingly complied with with respect to states, I quote, complying in -- conducting themselves in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self- determination of peoples as described above, and thus possessed of a government representing the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction as to race creed or color."

Today's government of Ukraine is no such government. Moreover, during the special military operation, Russia has been exercising its right to self defense from a regime that has been striving to gain access to nuclear weapons. The President of Ukraine explicitly stated this on 18 February during the Munich Conference and this, I would recall, this statement that he delivered was met with applause by the participants of this conference.

At the same time, Ukraine is seeking membership in NATO where there's an Article Five in effect, and its territorial claims to the Russian Federation. Hence and by leveraging Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, not only is Russia protecting itself from the nationalist spread, but Russia is also seeking to uphold the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter on the soil of Donbas and Ukraine, ensuring that the main goal of the United Nations be upheld namely to prevent succeeding generations from a scourge of war.

Unfortunately, behooves us to note the very negative role played in all of us by Western colleagues led by the United States. Instead of compelling Kyiv to comply with this obligations. Instead, they are merely citing Kyiv, egging it on, repeating the senseless mantra that their obligations and the Minsk agreements are not being complied with the Russian Federation, which should like to recall and emphasize Russian Federation is not a party to it.

Moreover, our Western colleagues have shamelessly inundated the country with weapons, have sent to the country instructors and effectively incited Ukrainians who are facing 120,000 strong military contingent to -- and prompted them to engage in armed provocation against the Donbas. This thereby, the western countries have created a bubble that cannot put pop distinguished colleagues discussing today.

In this discussion, it behooves us to note that back in 2008, a Russian president at the NATO Bucharest council cautioned that members of -- members of NATO should think three times before proudly say stating that Ukraine and Georgia will join NATO and this was a met -- this was portrayed as some kind of a great compromise which was immediately met with action plans undertaken in Ukraine and Georgia to join the alliance.

At the same time in 2014, there was a brutal anti-constitutional coup which took place in Kyiv as a result of which nationalists and radicals seized power.

[10:55:06]

NEBENZYA: And their policy was to create an anti-Russia in Ukraine and to ensure that it join NATO and I will revisit that before us, Ukraine joining NATO is a red line. First and foremost from the military strategic level, the deployment of NATO infrastructure in that country would compel us to adopt measures in response which -- and this has placed this at the verge of conflict for this reason.

In December 2021, we propose that that agreements be arrived at with the U.S. and NATO for security assurances to be provided to the Russian Federation. However, our extended hand was unceremoniously rebuffed by Americans and NATO representatives is proposed that we -- propose that we continue to discuss secondary issues without consideration of our concerns. Moreover, the question was not addressed as to the -- how the freedom of choosing alliances are set out in the OSCE.

Alliance with the principles of indivisible -- security which is of great importance to us. Probably many of you wonder, what should be done now and what can -- role can United Nations play in addressing the Ukrainian process -- Ukrainian crisis. We believe that the U.N. can and should play its role helped to bring the stakeholders positions closer together and to eradicate the causes of conflict.

The key role here, according to the charter, should be played by and all allies with the Security Council. However, attempts to call me discuss this issue is something our partners did not deign to undertake. For this reason, the Russian Federation on 25 February voted against the anti- Russian and anti-Ukrainian draft resolution of the Security Council. It is anti-Russian this document, there's no need to explain why it suffices to get a cursory glance at the document.

Why is it anti-Ukrainian? The document. Because this document beyond any doubt, is inconsistent with the root interests of the Ukrainian people and so far is an attempt to salvage and to cement in Ukraine those authorities who brought the country to the brink of tragedy, and this tragedy has been ongoing for eight years. Now, the main reason for our negative vote was not what was in the draft, but what was not included in the draft.

If the sponsors were to attempt to make it even remotely balanced, then they would not have left out issues that need to be addressed in the context of the Ukrainian issue. Specifically, what was unaddressed was the way that the unconstitutional coup in Ukraine, in Kyiv in February 2014 resulted in the Maidan (INAUDIBLE) seizing power and that using it against the residents, shelling civilian areas with artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers and raining bombs in the Donbas and Lugansk.

What was on address with how the Ukrainian authorities with the tolerance and indulgence of Western sponsors consistently and cynically, shirk their obligations to implement the Minsk agreement. At the same time at the line of contact Ukrainian death squads, first and foremost, comprised of neo- Nazi and radical elements methodically day after day, shelve the residential areas of DPR and LPR, killing women, children, the elderly.

This is ongoing today. How can we fail to mention the fact that Ukrainian nationalists have been perpetrating Christ for all these eight years, the protesters against Maidan and Odessa were burned alive. The peaceful protesters and the Maidan were shot out killed by snipers. The investigation into these tragedies by Maidan regime was deliberately swept under the rug. At the same time the perpetrators in the Odessa tragedy are well known.

They are flaunting their presence and an alternative investigation into the reasons -- into the acknowledgement by the snipers unambiguously emphasizes that the slaughter on Independence Square was a provocation by the leaders of Maidan. We specifically last year held an informal security city council (INAUDIBLE) meeting on this issue in order to provide colleagues at the security council more information about this.

However, in response, at best, we heard from Western (INAUDIBLE) sponsors nearly hackneyed cliches about Russian propaganda. What kind of text resolution on Ukraine can there be in above mentioned circumstances.

There's a need to ensure that the text -- there was a need for the text to have a frank assessment of the role in inflating the Ukrainian crisis played by Western colleagues who not only were present in Minsk negotiations, but effectively gave Kiev carte blanche to carry out any actions or steps that would be unthinkable for any civilized states.

[11:00:00]

NEBENZYA: With tails being spawn about the triumph of democracy in Ukraine, the Maidan Authorities and Nationalists engage in impunity murdering political opponents persecuting opposition, shattering opposition television outlets, and where there could be some relatively objective information provided six of those television channels were shuttered under Zelensky alone.

END

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