US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said “it is clear that Putin has a plan to destroy and terrorize Ukraine”, adding that the US is “concerned that the world needs to be prepared for a very long and very difficult road ahead.”
“If the last two weeks have shown us anything, it is that the Ukrainian people will not give up. And many Russians, including many Russian soldiers, don’t want this war,” Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on Monday.
The ambassador added that “Putin is clearly willing to sacrifice the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers to achieve his personal ambitions.”
“We have been warning Moscow for weeks that in the end Russia will be weaker, not stronger, for launching this war. This is already confirmed,” she said. “The question is how much devastation President Putin is willing to cause by this huge mistake.”
Attacks on civilians and refugees
In his remarks, Thomas-Greenfield said the US is “outraged by the increase in reports of Moscow attacks harming Ukrainian civilians in its unprovoked and unwarranted war against the Ukrainian people”, and expressed growing concern “about the protection of civilians in this country”. conflict, particularly women and girls vulnerable to gender-based violence, LGBTQI Ukrainians, as well as Ukraine’s elderly and disabled population.”
The American ambassador revealed that the Polish representative told her that 100 refugees a minute are crossing from Ukraine into Poland.
“We also call for protection and care for all vulnerable children, including those separated and unaccompanied and those in institutional care,” said Thomas-Greenfield, adding that “children should never, ever be involved in conflict — period.”
“As Unicef reported, we already know that dozens of children were killed in Putin’s war. And as we work to confirm cases, we know the real numbers are actually much higher,” she said. “Children have also been severely traumatized by the violence and destruction. They witnessed so many things that they stopped talking. The physical and psychological wounds of this war will be lasting.”
According to the US representative to the UN, Ukrainian cities are “under siege, under relentless Russian bombardment”.
“Hospitals are running low on supplies, food is dwindling and civilian casualties are increasing, while the most vulnerable groups — people with disabilities, the elderly, children — continue to bear the brunt of suffering.”
Charges to Russia
Thomas-Greenfield called on Moscow to provide a “firm, clear, public and unequivocal commitment to enable and facilitate prompt and unimpeded humanitarian access for humanitarian partners in Ukraine”.
“Very specifically, we ask the Russian Federation to agree and honor in good faith the Ukrainian proposals for time-bound humanitarian safe passage at specific and agreed-upon locations. We call for the establishment of a ground-level notification system that facilitates the safe movement of humanitarian convoys and flights,” said the ambassador.
She also called on “Russia to change course, withdraw its forces, de-escalate through diplomacy” and said the US supports “Ukraine’s call for a ceasefire”.
“In the meantime, we applaud those who do everything in their power to alleviate the suffering that Putin has unleashed on the Ukrainian people,” she said.
The UN representative noted that the US is “coordinating closely with the government of Ukraine, neighboring countries and international organizations, including those within the UN system, to monitor the situation and will work with them to address humanitarian needs in Ukraine and the region.” ”.
“Regardless of the course the Russian invasion may take, we must do everything – and I emphasize everything – everything we can do to help the people of Ukraine,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
“Kiev is still standing, and we are with Kiev. We are with the Ukrainians”, concluded the US ambassador to the UN.
Source: CNN Brasil
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