Day 208: Zelenskyy Promises No 'Lull' in Taking Back Ukrainian Towns, as Invasion to Dominate Annual Meeting of UN
Facts
- Amid a complex set of global challenges, the ongoing war in Ukraine is set to dominate the agenda at this year's meeting of the UN's General Assembly, held annually in New York. While the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II on Mon. caused travel headaches for some heads of state – including US Pres. Joe Biden who attended the event in London – most are expected to return by Tues., when the general debate of the meeting kicks off.
- Last week, following an objection from Russia, the UN voted to allow a pre-recorded address from Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be shown to the assembly. Typical UN rules require that all speeches be delivered in person, although they have been delivered virtually for the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ahead of the meeting, the UN's Sec. General António Guterres said: "The General Assembly is meeting at a time of great peril." Meanwhile, in his nightly address on Sun., Zelenskyy promised there'd be no let up in fighting to take back Ukrainian land. He said: "Perhaps some of you might think now that after a series of victories there is a certain lull. But this is not a lull. We are preparing for the next series of [liberated cities]."
- While shooting by a group of armed men was reported in the Russia-controlled city of Kherson on Sun., further Ukrainian attacks were reported in the Russia-controlled city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia. There were no reports of civilian casualties in either attack.
- Russia, meanwhile, continued to launch attacks on civilian infrastructure such as power grids and hydroelectric plants over the weekend. Overnight, Russia allegedly struck the industrial complex of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (SUNPP) in the Mykolaiv region, with shells reportedly landing 300m metres from nuclear reactors. Ukraine's state-owned energy company Energoatom said: "Currently, all three power units of the SUNPP are operating normally."
- Russian attacks were also reported elsewhere in Sumy, where one person was reported killed, as well as in Zaporizhzhia and Dniprovetrovsk. In Kharkiv, two people were reported injured while six others were reportedly injured on mines left by Russia following Ukraine's counteroffensive. In Donetsk, Ukrainian officials said three civilians were killed and eight were injured in Russian shelling. Pro-Russia separatists said five civilians were killed and three others were injured in Ukrainian shelling.
Sources: Associated Press, ABC, and Pravda.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Financial Express. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Feb. demonstrated just how toothless and impotent the UN has become. Its system is too weak to take deterrent action and it has become an instrument of manipulation by powerful states. Before it can have a positive impact, it needs thorough and comprehensive reform.
- Narrative B, as provided by The Washington Post. There are certainly some flaws within the UN that have been exposed by the invasion of Ukraine, but other features of its system have retained their usefulness. The charter itself provided Ukraine with an irrefutable legal standard of aggression that became the basis for international support, while Guterres has added his voice and prestige to condemnations of the Kremlin. The UN has provided a forum of acknowledged internationally legitimacy, though which nations have denounced Russian aggression.