Zelensky at UN Security Council: Russia can only be forced to peace, Putin will not stop on his own

According to an Ukrinform correspondent in New York, the President said this on Tuesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

According to him, Russia always has to lie to justify its war.

Russia cannot invoke the UN Charter to explain what it is doing against Ukraine, Zelensky said.

“In fact, in its own perverted way, in its own crooked world, it refers to the Charter - but this is just crazy,” he added.

Some in the world want to talk to Putin, Zelensky said.

“But what can they hear from him? That he is upset that we are exercising our right to defend our people? Or that he wants to continue the war and terror just so that no one thinks he was wrong? This is also insane,” the President emphasized.

From the first second of this war, Russia has been doing things that cannot be justified by the UN Charter, he noted, emphasizing that Russia is committing an international crime. 

“And that is why this war cannot simply “calm down”. That is why this war cannot be calmed down by talking. We need action,” Zelensky emphasized.

According to the President, Putin has violated so many international norms and rules that he will not stop on his own. “Russia can only be forced to peace. And this is exactly what is needed - to force Russia to peace as the only aggressor in this war, the only violator of the UN Charter,” he said.

Zelensky reminded that each point of the Peace Formula is based on the principles, goals and norms of the UN Charter, the rights it grants to states, and the General Assembly resolutions supported by the majority of countries.

“We don't have different versions of the UN Charter for different parts of the world,” Zelensky said. There is no separate UN Charter for the BRICS or for the G7. There is no separate Russian-Iranian UN Charter or separate Sino-Brazilian UN Charter. There is one UN Charter that unites everyone - and should unite everyone.”

As reported, Zelensky is on a visit to New York, where he is taking part in high-level events of the UN General Assembly. On Monday, he spoke at the Future Summit, and on Wednesday he is expected to speak at the general debate of the 79th session of the GA.