YouSaid · the spoken record

Thomas-Greenfield

lines on the record: 1,605
first: 2021-05-27
most recent: 2023-12-22
sittings or episodes: 219
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The United States would like to express its appreciation to Council members for this mandate renewal and for the important discussions that brought us here. The Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006) continues to be indispensable in investigating the unlawful weapons programme and sanctions evasion efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Despite the limitations of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the Panel has nevertheless continued to effectively monitor the implementation of these sanctions. We remain grateful to the Panel for its invaluable contributions to the 1718 regime. I have often reiterated the importance of effectively overseeing the implementation of the 1718 sanctions regime in the Chamber, which is made possible by the critical work of the Panel.”
2022-03-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9004 (2022) · source
“The Russian Permanent Representative asks why we decided to abstain and not veto. To be honest, it was not necessary to veto, and I do not think the draft resolution put before us (S/2022/231) was worthy of the United States using its precious veto power. Thirteen members of the Security Council abstained, and that was all that was required to defeat this draft resolution. In addition, I want to add that we do not need this farcical draft resolution to provide humanitarian assistance. The United States has provided more than $600 million in humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people, and we will continue to provide as much assistance as is required both to Ukraine and to the neighbouring countries, which are generously hosting and supporting the Ukrainian people.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“Our chorus of voices is why Russia’s cynical effort to use this institution to spread disinformation and propaganda will not work. As the vote today will show, Russia’s disingenuous efforts to deny the truth of its actions will continue to fail. I would like to thank you, Madam President, for offering a moment of silence for the amazing Madeleine Albright. I will end with a quote from Ms. Albright. Secretary Albright once warned, “Take it from someone who fled the Iron Curtain. I know what happens when you give the Russians a green light”. That is what we will do today if we adopt draft resolution S/2022/231.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“We remain deeply concerned, as we warned for the third time here yesterday (see S/PV.8999), that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents. Russia alone is to blame for the war in Ukraine. Mark my words — Russia will continue to be held accountable for what it is doing to the people in Ukraine. Russia is trying to make the Council complicit in its flimsy fabrications by putting forward a draft resolution that makes no mention of its role as the sole cause of this crisis. Our vote will show that we will play no part in that. Russia continues to block the Council from carrying out its mandate. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of the States Members of the United Nations stand with Ukraine.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“We have all seen the pervasive videos of millions of Ukrainian women and children fleeing for their lives. We have seen the images of bloody pregnant women being carried out of the rubble, including a mother and her baby, who died tragically two weeks ago. We have seen the shelling of kindergartens, orphanages and humanitarian quarters; attacks hitting apartment buildings, gas and water pipelines and a nuclear power plant, and shootings of people waiting in breadlines. We have seen cities under siege, corpses in the streets and journalists killed in the crossfire. We have seen shelling by Putin’s forces kill a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor in Kharkiv. If we are to believe Russia’s disinformation, those are all movie sets with actors.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“Once again, Russia is attempting to use the Council to provide cover for its brutal actions. It really is unconscionable that Russia would have the audacity to put forward a draft resolution asking the international community to solve a humanitarian crisis that Russia alone created. The United States intends to abstain in the voting on the text because, to state the obvious, Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions or the millions of lives and dreams the war has shattered. If it cared, it would stop the fighting. Russia is the aggressor, the attacker, the invader — the sole party in Ukraine, engaged in a campaign of brutality against the people of Ukraine — and it wants us to adopt a resolution that does not acknowledge its culpability.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9002 (2022) · source
“Secretary-General Aboul Gheit reminded us of that in his remarks. However, by acting together, I have no doubt that we will be better poised to meet the moment, to meet all of the challenges that we face and to find solutions moving forward.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“But make no mistake: Russia’s war has global implications. Russia’s devastation of Ukraine’s agricultural fields and its blockade of ports have already hurt global food security. That is having an impact on the Arab world, including in Yemen, a country that has already endured immense humanitarian suffering. We hope to work with the League of Arab States and other members to ensure that the consequences of Russia’s aggression are addressed. The humanitarian situation in Syria today remains dire, with nearly 15 million people in the country in need of assistance. We thank Syria’s neighbours for their incredible generosity in hosting Syrian refugees. It is clear that we face a host of challenges, but we cannot focus on one challenge and forget so many others that we are dealing with.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“When young people lack access to opportunities, when they are marginalized or discriminated against and when they face security threats, they become more susceptible to recruitment by criminal and terrorist groups. Finally, it is deeply regrettable that we meet at a time when the Security Council’s ability to carry out its mandate has been undermined by one of its permanent members. The United States condemns, in the strongest terms possible, Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked and increasingly devastating invasion of Ukraine. We must stand united in the face of President Putin’s illegal war. In that spirit, the United States appreciates that a majority of members of the League of Arab States supported the General Assembly resolution on Ukraine, adopted on 2 March (resolution ES-11/1).”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“As part of that work, we welcome the opportunity to strengthen our collective climate ambitions and accelerate progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We encourage all League of Arab States members to join over 111 other countries in endorsing the Global Methane Pledge, with the global collective goal of reducing methane by 30 per cent by 2030. The United States is also encouraged by joint efforts undertaken by UN-Women and the League of Arab States to support League member States in developing and implementing national action plans on women and peace and security. We also welcome the League’s efforts to aid the region’s youth. We heard Ms. Alaqil’s voice very loudly and, once again, we appreciate her bringing the recommendations of youth to this forum.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“As we continue to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) around the world, we are also grateful to the League of Arab States for its participation in President Biden’s first global COVID-19 summit on ending the pandemic. We look forward to our engagement with Arab health ministers later this month. The United States has led the world in supporting the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility and donating vaccines to countries in need. We have sent nearly 38.5 million doses to League of Arab States members, in partnership with COVAX. COVID-19 remains an immediate global priority, and we value opportunities to further engage with the League and its member States on its critical work. But, as we deal with the pandemic, we must also stay laser-focused on another great threat, namely, the climate crisis.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“In that vein, we welcome the League’s ongoing engagement in a range of protracted conflicts that continue to upend regional stability and create multiple complex humanitarian crises, including in Libya, Syria and Yemen. We also deeply appreciate the important role played by League member States in pushing back on Iran’s destabilizing behaviour in the region. The United States applauds those members that recently normalized relations with Israel, including the Abraham Accords countries. I especially want to thank the League of Arab States for its contributions as a member of the Global Coalition against Da’esh. The Coalition has brought together 83 countries and international organizations to ensure the enduring defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“I want to thank Secretary-General Guterres; the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit; and Ms. Alaqil for their informative presentations. I particularly appreciate Ms. Alaqil’s message from youth in the Arab world. I also welcome the presence of Minister Shaheen. The Security Council has a critical responsibility to respond to the scourge of war and to threats to international peace and security. To that end, the United States fully supports the ongoing efforts to enhance coordination between the Council and the League of Arab States. Together, we can work to further a stable, prosperous and secure Middle East.”
2022-03-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9001 (2022) · source
“Humanitarian relief, reconstruction and recovery needs are acute, and food insecurity could worsen in the coming weeks, owing to the rising price of food, fuel and other commodities. In this dangerous environment of scarcity, we encourage all States Members of the United Nations to provide assistance, including through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to help meet the needs of vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“Individuals, regardless of who they are or where they come from, who commit unlawful acts of violence, should be held accountable. As the holy month of Ramadan and the Passover and Easter holidays approach, we must aspire to peace, recognizing the heightened religious sensitivities during this time. All sides must refrain from unilateral actions that exacerbate tensions and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-State solution. In that spirit, we welcome the recent meetings between Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Lapid and reiterate the importance of upholding the status quo on the Holy Esplanade. I will close by noting that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains serious.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“He highlighted the need to improve the quality of life for Palestinians in tangible ways and reaffirmed that Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve equal measures of security, freedom and prosperity. We encourage all those who look for peace in the Middle East to commit to constructive acts that help Palestinians and Israelis coexist and prosper. While we worked toward long-term peace, we also remained deeply concerned about present-day tensions, including violence in the West Bank and in and around Jerusalem. The United States strongly condemns the recent terrorist attacks in the Old City that injured two Israeli policemen, and once again we deplore continuing attacks by Israeli settlers on ordinary Palestinians. We urge the authorities both to condemn acts of violence and to fairly pursue justice for these acts.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“In addition to these visits, we welcome the efforts of the signatories of recent normalization agreements to bolster their relationships through working groups and initiatives. These will help further develop trade, cultural and people-to-people ties and offer new opportunities and hope for people across the region. The United States also believes that normalization agreements can enhance regional cooperation. But let me be clear: normalization is not a substitute for serious engagement between Israelis and Palestinians. That is why the Biden Administration has made a point of intensifying dialogue with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr just visited Israel and the West Bank to discuss Israeli- Palestinian relations.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“I thank Special Coordinator Wennesland for his briefing. We fully support his continued and close engagement with all parties to promote dialogue and peace. The United States remains committed to widening relations between Israel and its neighbours. One way we can do that is by deepening cooperation among the participants in the Abraham Accords and other countries that have normal relations with Israel. On that front, we are encouraged by Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi’s meetings in Bahrain with his counterpart there, and we welcome the meeting between Turkish President Erdoğan and Israeli President Herzog in Ankara. These visits demonstrate that good faith engagement can build mutual confidence and create a path towards greater security and prosperity.”
2022-03-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9000 (2022) · source
“Despite all the evidence we could see with our own eyes, Russia told us that it would not invade Ukraine; that it was engaged in war games; that it was interested in diplomacy. I asked the Russian Permanent Representative: Where are the 100,000 troops who were sitting on the Russian side of the border now? Sadly, I believe that many of them have given their lives in this senseless, unconscionable war against the Ukrainian people. Russia has also lied to its own people, while shutting down media to try and hide the truth. I will not repeat the slurs and false accusations that Russia has hurled against the Ukrainian people and the United States repeatedly at this table. We know that Russia’s disinformation is a sign of its desperation. That is the truth, and we will continue to ensure that the world sees and hears it.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“We are not buying what it is selling, literally or figuratively. I will reiterate the United States deep and serious concern about the fact that Russia’s calling of today’s meeting is a potential false-flag effort in action. Russia has repeatedly accused other countries of the very violations it plans to perpetrate. We continue to believe that it is possible that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people. We will not dignify Russia’s disinformation or conspiracy theories, but we will continue to sound the alarm and tell the world where we think Russia is headed. We will remind the world that Russia has repeatedly lied to the Council over recent weeks.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“In fact, it is Russia that has long maintained a biological weapons programme, in violation of international law. It is Russia that has a well- documented history of using chemical weapons. It is Russia that is the aggressor here. It was Russian operatives who poisoned Alexei Navalny and Sergei and Yulia Skripal with nerve agents. It is Russia that continues to support the Al-Assad regime in Syria and shield it from accountability when the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have confirmed that Al-Assad has used chemical weapons over the past several years. Let us not forget why we are really here today. We are here because Russia knew that its cynical ploy to adopt an exculpatory resolution had failed. Today’s meeting is the result of its isolation in the Council and on the world stage.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“I thank High Representative Nakamitsu for joining us today to repeat exactly what she gave us last week (see S/PV.8991). Last week, we heard a tirade of bizarre conspiracy theories from the Russian representative. This week, we are hearing a whole lot more where that came from — things that sound like they were forwarded to him on a chain email from some dark corner of the Internet. President Biden has a word for that kind of talk — malarkey. As I said one week ago, Ukraine does not have a biological weapons programme. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories — not near Russia’s border, not anywhere. There are only public health facilities, proudly — and I say proudly — supported and recognized by the United States Government, the World Health Organization and other Governments and international institutions.”
2022-03-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8999 (2022) · source
“I was momentarily pleased to hear that the Russians were pulling down the vote on their farcical humanitarian draft resolution S/2022/231, which was doomed to fail. We know that if Russia truly cared about the humanitarian crisis — the one that it created — it could simply stop its attacks on the people of Ukraine. But instead, it wants to call for another Security Council meeting to use the Council as a venue for its disinformation and for promoting its propaganda. Let us not forget that Russia is the aggressor in this situation. It is the one that is creating the pretext for attacks on its own people, and we cannot be fooled by its efforts in that regard. It has troops inside Ukraine. It is killing people inside Ukraine. That is the reason for us being at this meeting today. It is not to deal with its propaganda.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“Russia has clearly violated international law by violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Russia’s brutal tactics have killed civilians, medics and some of the journalists who have been showing us all the truth of this war. Russia has attacked so much of what we hold sacred and everything — everything — the United Nations stands for. Russia’s actions must be condemned in no uncertain terms. As President Biden said, Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin. No matter what advances he makes, no matter whom he kills or what cities he destroys, Ukraine will never be a victory for him. The United States stands with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and we will do everything — everything — in our power to end this tragic, unnecessary war.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“And we are grateful to all of our allies and partners who have opened their borders and their hearts and welcomed Ukrainian refugees. We are also going to continue to provide humanitarian relief to support people within Ukraine and those who have been forced to flee, including the $186 million in additional assistance that Secretary Blinken announced on Tuesday. Here at the United Nations, we believe that the best way to address the humanitarian crisis is through a resolution of the General Assembly. The resolution of the General Assembly will reflect the views of the overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States and Ukraine itself. The International Court of Justice issued a profound and important order yesterday to the Russian Federation, and we call on Russia to comply immediately.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“They reported terror — the terror that Russia is inflicting across Ukraine on the Ukrainian people. Russia will be held accountable for its atrocities. There is only one way — one way — to end this madness. President Putin must stop the killing, withdraw his forces and leave Ukraine once and for all. Yesterday I listened to President Zelenskyy’s speech to the United States Congress and I was so moved by his words, his bravery and his calls for help and for peace. Immediately afterward, President Biden announced another $800 million in security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself. That is more than $1 billion in the past week alone. We are not doing this by ourselves. Our allies and partners are fully committed to surging assistance to the Ukrainians.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“Associated Press reporters on the ground showed the world a mass grave in Mariupol — a narrow trench filled with the bodies of children. Yesterday, Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb that hit a Mariupol theatre where hundreds of civilians were hiding. The Russian word for “children” was written outside the theatre, both front and back, in large white letters that could have been seen from the sky. Yet Russian forces bombed it anyway. Local officials have told families to leave their dead relatives lying outside on the streets — exposed to the world — because it is simply too dangerous with the bombs and shelling to hold funerals. I have just met with Ukrainian civil society leaders. They reported that people standing in a bread line, trying to get food to feed their families, were shot dead by Russian soldiers.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“I thank the briefers for their briefings today. Just three weeks ago, Russia launched its unprovoked, unjustified, unconscionable full-scale invasion into Ukraine and assault on democracy. Now, over 3 million refugees have fled the country, creating a devastating humanitarian crisis felt around the world. These refugees are mostly women and children. They stuffed their lives into backpacks and left their homes and everything they knew behind. Today, many of them know that their apartment buildings and streets have been bombed to rubble. And the horrors continue for those who remain in Ukraine. We have just heard from the Director-General of the World Health Organization that 43 hospitals have been attacked by Russia — 43 hospitals and health facilities.”
2022-03-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8998 (2022) · source
“We encouraged by the signing on 5 March of a memorandum of understanding to allow a vessel to temporarily store oil from the FSO SAFER oil tanker until a permanent solution is agreed. We urge all parties to abide by that agreement in order to prevent a humanitarian and environmental disaster. We think the Netherlands for its work towards a solution and encourage donors to provide the necessary funding to implement that plan and forestall a tragic outcome. The situation in Yemen remains dire. I sincerely hope, as we all do, that the Special Envoy’s efforts towards an inclusive peace process prove successful.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“Funding gaps have already forced aid organizations to make significant cuts to life-saving assistance, impacting millions of Yemenis. Donors have an opportunity to change that on 16 March at the virtual 2022 high-level pledging event. The United States is planning to make a significant contribution, but it will take all donors working together to meet Yemen’s dire needs. We must address Yemen’s humanitarian crises now, otherwise the path to peace will narrow. Fuel imports through Al-Hudaydah port were up in February but unfortunately due to actions by all the parties, including Houthi stockpiling, the blockage of imports from southern Yemen and the manipulation of prices, Yemenis are still suffering from severe fuel shortages. A comprehensive solution is needed to address the fuel crisis facing Yemenis.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“Resolution 2624 (2022) includes strong language, emphasizing the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance, remittances and unhindered imports of critical goods like food and fuel. That language clearly conveys the Security Council’s intent to ensure the new measures do not target humanitarian activity or legitimate trade. We are grateful for the work that aid organizations and commercial importers are doing to stabilize Yemen’s economy and ensure the population can meet its basic needs. We reiterate that the language of the resolution is not intended to prevent that work from proceeding. That leads me to my fourth and final point about the humanitarian, fuel and FSO SAFER tanker situations. Sadly, Yemen remains one of largest humanitarian crises in the world, as evidenced by the latest highly concerning food insecurity data.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“It is time for the Houthis to cease all threats against them and their families and to release the United Nations staff and others they have also detained. Thirdly, we welcome the Council’s adoption of resolution 2624 (2022), which renews the existing travel-ban and asset-freeze measures for another year and applies the arms embargo explicitly to the Houthis as a group. The resolution includes strong language condemning the illicit transfer of weapons to the Houthis and the group’s cross-border terrorist attack on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Stopping the illegal flow of weapons from Iran to the Houthis is a top priority. Those weapons are only fuelling the war, destabilizing the region and exacerbating the suffering of Yemenis. We cannot stress enough the need for all Member States to strictly implement the arms embargo.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“He has held in-person consultations with senior leaders from the other key parties, and a visit to Sana’a is long overdue. We also call on the parties to ensure that delegations to these consultations include diverse civil society representatives — women, youth, people with disabilities and members of other marginalized groups. These perspectives are essential to identifying a durable resolution that improves the lives of all Yemenis. Secondly, we are saddened to confirm that the Houthis have detained yet another member of our local staff, who was abducted while shopping at a Sana’a market on 15 February. This is unjust and unacceptable. We call loudly and clearly for the immediate release of our current and former Yemeni employees — and for them to be released unharmed.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“The Security Council must maintain unified support for his efforts, which offer a valuable opportunity for Yemenis to develop a renewed vision for political resolution of the conflict. We all know that this conflict has created significant fractures and altered the balance of power on the ground. For a peace process to be successful, it must reflect these shifts and incorporate the perspectives and the grievances of Yemenis across the country, including calls for justice and accountability. We therefore call on all parties to the conflict to take part fully and meaningfully in the United Nations consultations. That requires permitting Special Envoy Grundberg to visit all the relevant cities, including Sana’a, without preconditions.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“I thank our briefers, Special Envoy Grundberg and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths, for their tireless efforts, and I welcome the participation of the Yemeni Permanent Representative at today’s meeting. Today I want to address four aspects of the situation in Yemen. Progress toward an inclusive political peace process, the outrageous detention of United States and United Nations locally employed staff, the results of the Council’s latest resolution on Yemen (resolution 2624 (2022)), and the situation related to humanitarian fuel and the FSO SAFER tanker. First, the United States welcomes Special Envoy Grundberg’s launch of an inclusive consultative process to work towards a resolution of this heartbreaking conflict. We applaud his work to incorporate the perspectives of a wide range of Yemeni political and civil society groups.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8995 (2022) · source
“Also, at the request of the Government of South Sudan, it authorizes UNMISS to provide electoral assistance, pending its meeting electoral benchmarks outlined in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. There is no bigger supporter of the people of South Sudan than the United States. We believe the renewed UNMISS mandate will help create a necessary and powerful path towards long-term stability and security in the country.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8994 (2022) · source
“The United States thanks Council members for their efforts to strengthen the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and ensure that the Mission supports the people of South Sudan in their pursuit of lasting peace, security and stability. The mandate reinforces the core mission of UNMISS — to protect civilians, bolster delivery of humanitarian assistance, monitor and investigate human rights and support the peace process. The United States also supports resolution 2625 (2022) because, in response to the horrific sexual violence in South Sudan, it calls for UNMISS to strengthen its sexual- and gender-based-violence prevention activities.”
2022-03-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8994 (2022) · source
“I know that the Russian representative expects me to respond, but we are not going to give any more air time to the lies that those present are hearing today. It is beneath the Security Council. There is only one aggressor here, and that is Russia. We hope that it will be able to find it in its conscience to end the attacks and stop the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Today’s meeting has confirmed our predictions, revealed Russia’s objectives to the world and exposed Russia’s lies for what they are — a malicious effort to cover for the atrocities being committed by Russia as part of its illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine. It is a page directly out of the Russian playbook, and it will not convince us one bit. The world is watching. Photographic and video evidence is mounting, and Russia will be held to account for its actions. We will not let atrocities slide. Unlike the Russian Government — whose first instinct is to silence — we are confident that truth and transparency will prevail. We call on President Putin to end this unprovoked, unconscionable war against the Ukrainian people.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Their fabrications did not matter, because the world had already seen the searing images broadcast on CNN of bloodied pregnant women being evacuated from the scene of Russia’s attack on the hospital. Even Russia’s own citizens are tiring of such lies. Russian athletes are writing “no war” on their shoes and on television cameras. Russian citizens are marching in the streets and protesting Putin’s war of choice. And even Russian state television pundits — Putin’s own propaganda arm — have called for Putin to stop the military action. That is why we did not object to holding today’s meeting.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“And Ukrainian journalists are risking their lives every day to deliver to the world the latest on-the-ground facts, such as Novoe Vremye reporting on the reckless behaviour of Russian forces towards Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. Russia is failing in its quest to create an alternative reality. In fact, not even Russian diplomats can keep their propaganda straight. Just yesterday, the Kremlin’s spokesman said he didn’t have clear information about the Russian forces who fired on a maternity hospital. Then the Foreign Minister himself denied that Russia attacked Ukraine at all, right before admitting that Russia deliberately targeted this maternity hospital in Mariupol.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Russia cannot paint over the front page of the New York Times, which on Monday featured the bodies of a Ukrainian mother and her two children who died while trying to cross a bridge outside Kyiv in their attempt to flee to safety. Russia cannot cover up the work of Associated Press news reporters, who captured a doctor attempting to resuscitate an 18-month-old, Kirill, who died from Russian shelling in Mariupol. Russia cannot suppress the social media post, confirmed and amplified by CBS News, that told the story of the 11-year-old Ukrainian boy who fled to Slovakia, by himself, with only a passport, a plastic bag and a phone number scrawled on his hands. Russia cannot silence the Al-Jazeera report of Russian soldiers terrorizing Ukrainian cities.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“From the beginning, our strategy to counter Russia’s tactics has been to share what we know with the world transparently. And candidly, we have been right more often than we would like. We are not going to let Russia get away with lying to the world or staining the integrity of the Security Council by using this forum as a venue for legitimizing Putin’s violence. Russia has attacked homes, schools, orphanages and hospitals. Russia has attacked civilian infrastructure, including water and sanitation facilities. Their forces are laying Ukrainian cities under siege. Hundreds of thousands of civilians now do not have access to electricity for heat or drinking water to stay alive. Russia is the aggressor in this situation. And despite Russia’s best efforts, the media and everyday Ukrainians are documenting this truth on the ground.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“And we are deeply concerned that Russia’s calling for this meeting is a potential false flag effort in action — exactly the kind we have been warning about, including in the statement by Secretary Blinken in the Security Council last month (see S/PV.8968). Russia has a track record of falsely accusing other countries of the very violations that Russia itself is perpetrating. And given that and consistent with our previous statements, we have serious concerns that Russia may be planning to use chemical or biological agents against the Ukrainian people. The intent behind these lies seems clear and it is deeply troubling. We believe Russia could use chemical or biological agents for assassinations, as part of a staged or false flag incident or to support tactical military operations.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“That work has everything to do with protecting the health of people. It has absolutely nothing — absolutely nothing — to do with biological weapons. In fact, it is Russia that has long maintained a biological weapons programme in violation of international law. It is Russia that has a well-documented history of using chemical weapons. It is Russia who is the aggressor in this situation. It was Russian operatives who poisoned Aleksey Navalny and Sergei and Yulia Skripal with nerve agents. It is Russia that continues to support the Al-Assad regime in Syria and shield it from accountability when the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have confirmed that Al-Assad has repeatedly used chemical weapons over the past several years.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“Russia is attempting to use the Security Council to legitimize disinformation and deceive people to justify President Putin’s war of choice against the Ukrainian people. And China too has been spreading disinformation in support of Russia’s outrageous claims. I will say this once: Ukraine does not have a biological weapons programme. There are no Ukrainian biological weapons laboratories supported by the United States — not near Russia’s border or anywhere. Here are the facts. Ukraine owns and operates its own public health laboratory infrastructure. Those facilities make it possible to detect and diagnose diseases like the coronavirus disease, thereby benefiting us all. The United States has assisted Ukraine to do that safely and securely. That is work that has been done proudly, clearly and out in the open.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“I thank our briefers for their remarks this morning. Russia asked the Security Council for today’s meeting for the sole purpose of lying and spreading disinformation and that is exactly what members have heard from the Russian Permanent Representative. Members also heard from Mrs. Nakamitsu that the United Nations is not aware of any biological or chemical weapons programmes in Ukraine. Last month, Secretary of State Blinken (see S/PV.8968) laid out with tragic accuracy what Russia was about to do. He specifically warned that Russia would manufacture a pretext for attack and even cautioned that Russia would fabricate allegations about chemical or biological weapons to justify its own violent attacks against the Ukrainian people. Today the world is watching Russia do exactly what we warned it would do.”
2022-03-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8991 (2022) · source
“We know that they are subjected to increased threats of violence, that their ability to engage in work and education has largely been stamped out and that shelters, protection services and survivor- support services are being shut down. In Ethiopia and elsewhere, women have become the explicit targets, with rape even being used as a weapon of war against them. We cannot ignore that horrific tactic. The United States therefore remains fully committed to advancing resolution 1325 (2000) as a matter of international peace and security. Economic, social or political exclusion is antithetical to peace. We must continue to press the women and peace and security agenda forward because it is the right thing to do and because it is core to our charge of maintaining international peace and security for all.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“That is the kind of approach we need to take on a larger scale, and we should pair such programmes with clear-eyed plans to address gender-based violence and enhance safety and equal access to relief and recovery assistance and opportunities for women and girls. That is all the more pressing, given the conflict into which so many women have been plunged in Ukraine. And, even while we focus on Ukraine, we cannot take our eyes off the challenges that women are facing elsewhere, such as in Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Since the Taliban’s takeover, Afghan women have seen decades of hard-fought progress rolled back almost overnight.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source
“They often make women dependent on others for access to funds — even funds that they themselves generated. Those discriminatory practices against women’s economic inclusion not only deny women their basic rights; they also fundamentally undermine efforts to create strong, safe and prosperous societies. When you give women access to capital, financial services and job opportunities, it is not only the right thing to do; it creates a societal wealth and resilience, and that, in turn, generates long-term peace and security. For example, in Senegal we have promoted economic resilience and resistance to radicalization by economically empowering 5,000 rural smallholders, 60 per cent of whom were women. They were women who were exposed to violent extremism, but were better able to resist it because they saw a better path forward.”
2022-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8989 (2022) · source