War in Ukraine: Mass boycott of Lavrov’s speech – Diplomats leave the room

As a sign of solidarity with Ukraine, many delegations, including Western countries, left the room where the Conference on Disarmament is taking place today at the time of the intervention of the Russian Foreign Minister. Sergei Lavrov.

The diplomats left the room at the beginning of the videotaped speech of Lavrov, who originally intended to go to Geneva for the Disarmament Conference. But on Monday he canceled the trip due to “anti-Russian sanctions”, as he described them, which do not allow him to fly in EU airspace.

Only a few delegations remained in the room, including those from Yemen, Algeria, Venezuela, Syria and Tunisia.

Outside the room, those present applauded the departing delegations.

It is “important that we make a solidarity with our Ukrainian friends,” said Jan Huang, the French ambassador to the Disarmament Conference.

Some members of the delegations also held the Ukrainian flag, as broadcast by the Athenian News Agency.

Lavrov in his speech pointed out that Kyiv is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, citing a real danger that must be averted.

“Ukraine still has Soviet technologies and means to acquire such weapons,” he said. “We can not but respond to this real danger.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba also addressed the Disarmament Conference in a videotaped speech, accusing Russia of war crimes with “indiscriminate bombing” of cities.

“Nothing can justify it the rocket bombing of residential buildings, kindergartens, orphanages, hospitals “And aid vehicles, civilian buses or the millions of refugees fleeing Russian fire,” he said.

“Russian aggression is a global threat. “Therefore, the response to this threat must be global.”

For his part, the Ukrainian ambassador told the conference that Kyiv had called for an emergency meeting “on the threat to world peace and security posed by Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the issue of weapons of mass destruction.”