Zelensky tells UN to remove Russia from Security Council or ‘Dissolve yourself’ [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the United Nations to remove Russia from the Security Council.
• Zelenskyy said that he sees two options for the council — remove Russia or dissolve itself.
• The Ukrainian president spoke to the UNSC after they found hundreds of civilians killed in Bucha after Russian forces retreated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded that the UN Security Council (UNSC) remove Russia as a permanent member. He told the council that they have two options — remove Russia or dissolve itself entirely.

Zelenskyy said Russia is “an aggressor and a source of war so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression.” There are five permanent members of the UNSC — the US, UK, China, France and Russia. All five are victors of World War II and have veto power. 

“If there is no alternative and no option, then the next option would be dissolve yourself altogether,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy spoke to the council following the discovery of mass civilian killings in Bucha. Hundreds of civilians were found killed by Russian forces in Bucha after Ukraine reclaimed the region. Many corpses were found strewn in the streets, buried in partially excavated mass graves, and in basements.

In his speech on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said, “We must do everything in our power to pass on to the next generation an effective UN with the ability to respond preventively to security challenges.”

According to the Insider, experts believe that Russia is ignoring international norms and has threatened the global system that was designed post-World War II to prevent future conflicts. Zelenskyy has the same sentiments.

“We’re dealing with a state that’s turning the veto [of] the UN Security Council into the right to die. This undermines the whole architecture of global security and allows them to go unpunished,” Zelenskyy said. “They’re destroying everything that they can.”

The Ukrainian president alleged that the UN is ignoring Russia’s past aggression, including the 2008 invasion of Georgia and the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Zelenskyy said Russia’s aggression in his country was “no different” from atrocities committed by terror groups like ISIS. During his Tuesday speech, Zelenskyy showed the UNSC terrifying footage of Ukrainian civilians killed. The video ended with the word “Stop Russian Aggression.” 

If Russia’s aggression will continue, it will be a sign that other countries must rely “only on the power of their own arms to ensure their security and not on international law.”

“Are you ready to close the UN? Do you think that the time of international law is gone?” Zelenskyy asked. “If your answer is no, then you need to act immediately…The UN system must be reformed immediately.”

Source: Insider