Lithuanian President at UN Denounces Russia for Invading Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS – Gitanas Nausėda, president of Lithuania and one of the first speakers this morning at the General Debate of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, devoted almost his entire address to denouncing Russia for disrupting the world order and invading Ukraine without provocation.

Of all the regional wars today such as the crisis in the Middle East and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, Nausėda called the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine “the most dangerous threat.”

Goading the representatives of the member-states to remember Russia’s rhetoric that led to its invasion in February 2022, Nausėda said, “How many times have they openly admitted that the Kremlin intends to wipe Ukraine from the face of Earth! If any sovereign nation is under the threat of complete destruction, no country is truly safe anymore. If the international community looks away and ignores the unpleasant truth, no country is truly safe anymore. And if mass killings, deportations and deliberate attacks on civilian population become the new norm, no country is truly safe anymore.”

Nausėda admonished the international assemblage: “That should disturb us all.”

To bring the war to an end and achieve lasting peace, more actions will have to follow, he said. “Justice will have to be served. Russia will have to atone for its many crimes and pay damages. The main culprits of the war of aggression and numerous war crimes will have to stand before the court.”

The first to stand trial, Nausėda pointed out, should be Vladimir Putin, who is already under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for his crimes, specifically unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of children. “I call on the United Nations member-countries to enforce this warrant,” he said.

Additionally, frozen Russian foreign assets should also be used to pay for the damage done to Ukraine.

The Lithuanian president warned that Russia is preparing to return to the era of imperial conquest, colonial domination and genocide, adding that none of the General Assembly members would want “to see powerful neighbors convincing themselves that from now on every dispute should be settled by force.”

Pointing out that Ukraine’s armed forced is single-handedly fighting not only a defensive war but “Ukraine is also fighting for the future of all those countries who believe in the United Nations Charter and its principles. Ukraine is fighting for us all,” Nausėda said. However, he continued reproachfully, collectively the world hasn’t done enough.

“We have not been able to stop this madness. We have not been able to force Russia to reconsider its dangerous course. We have not been able to hold it accountable for so many violations of the United Nations Charter,” he said.

The reason why Russia has been able to ride roughshod over the UN principles, Ukraine and international community is “Because to this day, the aggressor is hiding under the cover of the Security Council’s permanent membership. Hiding in plain sight. Mocking every one of us with its unrestricted veto power.”

Russia’s criminal behavior is a “terrible blow to the very credibility” of the United Nations, he continued, while simultaneously the global community keeps hearing calls for Ukraine to surrender, to compromise on its sovereignty and territorial integrity, or to accept Russia’s ultimatums.

“Why should the aggressor be rewarded?” Nausėda asked. “Why should appeasement work this time, when it failed so spectacularly almost 90 years ago? Why should the victim agree to the demands of the terrorist-in-chief, sitting safe in the Kremlin after so much bloodshed and loss of innocent lives?”

Despite the bloodshed and political vacillation, “Ukraine is still fighting. Ukraine is still going strong, regardless of all the appeasers and doomsayers. And only Ukraine has the right to determine the actual conditions for peace,” the Lithuanian president emphasized.

Simultaneously, he told the diplomats seated in front of him, “we have the duty to support Ukraine. To restrict Russia’s ability to wage war and ensure the accountability of those responsible for the crime of aggression and crimes against humanity. To reform the Security Council and to rebuild the credibility of the United Nations Charter.”

To withstand enormous pressure and win this war, Nausea said Ukraine needs more military equipment, ammunition, and medical supplies. Ukraine also urgently needs humanitarian and financial aid.

With Russia’s rocket attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, Nausėda expects the upcoming winter will be extremely difficult for the Ukrainian people.

“Constant deliberate Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure have destroyed more than 80 percent of Ukraine’s thermal energy generation and a third of its hydro generation. To prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, our assistance should be swift and focused on the energy sector,” he said.

Nausėda called on other countries, including Belarus, Iran, North Korea, and China, to stop providing Russia with military support, including the transfer of dual-use materials. “More arms for Russia mean more civilian deaths. More civilian infrastructure destroyed. More chaos,” he cautioned.

Voicing his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace formula which he will reveal tomorrow, Nausėda said it deserves universal support because it is based on the universal principles of the United Nations Charter – sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law.

“Lithuania urges all peace-loving countries to actively engage in these efforts, including preparation for and participation in the next Summit of the Peace Formula,” he said.

Nausėda believes the war could scale down tomorrow if only Russia would agree “to disengage and withdraw its forces” from all occupied regions of Ukraine.

“Ukraine does not want Russia’s territories. It wants to liberate its own people – not Russia’s. It wants to see prisoners of war and abducted children – thousands of them – returned. It wants the constant deliberate bombing of civilian infrastructure, of so many schools, hospitals, and power stations, to finally stop,” he said.

Today’s regional wars must convince the member-states to push for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, noting “there is simply no place for Russia in the Security Council, which was created to maintain international peace and security.”

Nausėda expressed his country’s hopes that the world will soon witness Ukraine’s victory. However, until that happens, Lithuania, an unfaltering former captive nation of Russian subjugation advocate for Ukraine, will not waver nor raise the white flag.

“Until this becomes reality, Lithuania’s position remains steadfast. We will not recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of any Ukrainian region, be it Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, or Zaporizhzhia. We will not stop demanding that Russia ends grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Lithuania will continue providing shelter to Ukrainian war refugees. Lithuania will continue supporting Ukraine with all possible means.”