NEW YORK—American Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield mentioned Sunday that each one choices are on the desk for coping with Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with prosecuting him for struggle crimes and stripping Russia of its vote on the United Nations Safety Council.”
“So, Madam Ambassador, we’re listening to from individuals on the bottom in Ukraine reviews of civilian deaths, seeing the harm to civilian buildings,” she mentioned.
“President Zelensky simply this morning mentioned that Vladimir Putin is committing genocide, and he ought to be tried as a struggle legal. Do you assume that Vladimir Putin is a struggle legal? And may he be tried as such?” CNN’s Dana Bash requested.
“We’re holding the Russians accountable at each degree, and I’ve to say that we had been appalled by the Russian use of the phrase genocide to explain what the Russians are doing.
“They’re the aggressors, they usually need to be held accountable, whether or not it is within the United Nations or elsewhere, and all of that continues to be mentioned and is on the desk,” the ambassador advised a reporter.
“As you realize, we shall be having a dialogue in Geneva on the UN Human Rights Council, bringing Russia earlier than the Human Rights Council, as properly,” she mentioned, “and there is one other decision that we’re bringing earlier than the Normal Meeting in a particular emergency assembly that we’re requesting tonight. “So, we’re retaining the stress up on the Russians.”
When requested whether or not holding a struggle crimes tribunal in The Hague can also be on the desk, Ambassador Greenfield mentioned,
“I feel all the things is on the desk as we transfer ahead, however as we’re coping with the scenario at the moment, we’re persevering with to handle all of these points.”
“Through the very second that you just had been giving your speech on the UN Safety Council assembly urging Russia to not invade Ukraine, Vladimir Putin was launching his invasion. What was that second like, if you realized that was occurring?” Bash requested.
“It confirmed the entire and utter disrespect that the Russians have for UN values, for the UN Constitution. There was a buzz throughout the room within the Safety Council, as all of us started to get data that this was occurring on the bottom as we had been talking. So, once more, we’re not stunned,” Ambassador Greenfield mentioned.
“The U.S. warned about this for weeks upfront that this was going to occur any day. So, we weren’t stunned that they did it, however, once more, it simply confirmed to the world how this — how a lot the Russians disrespect the UN system and that, once more, they’re the aggressors right here,” she mentioned.
When requested whether or not she would help stripping Russia of its vote on the UN Safety Council as President Zelensky advised, Ambassador Greenfield mentioned, “Look, Russia is a member of the Safety Council. That is within the UN Constitution, however we’re going to maintain Russia accountable for disrespecting the UN Constitution, they usually have been remoted in many various methods.
“So, simply to point, 80 nations joined us in co-sponsoring the decision. Greater than 50 nations joined us on the podium to name out Russia’s aggression. So, the actual fact of their sitting on the Safety Council doesn’t imply they’re shielded from criticism and shielded from isolation and shielded from condemnation,” she mentioned.
Her message to the two,700 Russian anti-war protesters who’ve been detained is that they’re “terribly courageous to be protesting of their nation,” and “we encourage these individuals to proceed to verify their voices are heard.”
It exhibits that Putin “can’t conceal what he’s doing in Ukraine” and “he doesn’t have 100 % help in his personal nation for what he’s doing,” the UN ambassador mentioned.
