GENEVA – A coalition of Western nations stood in solidarity with Ukraine and denounced Russian military actions during a United Nations assembly in Geneva, marking four years since Russia’s military invasion began.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to international partners from Kyiv to continue backing Ukraine, even as European allies remain split over implementing additional economic penalties against Moscow during anniversary observances.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide addressed a Human Rights Council side meeting attended by representatives from numerous nations including France, Britain, Canada, Japan and Peru, though the United States appeared absent from the gathering.
“What Russia has done and is doing in Ukraine right now is violating every principle in the book,” Eide declared to the assembly. “Everything the U.N. stands for is being violated,” he continued, concluding his remarks with “Glory to Ukraine!”
Moscow has offered multiple justifications for deploying military forces into its neighboring country, citing the need to “demilitarise” Ukraine and counter NATO’s eastward growth following the Soviet Union’s dissolution. Ukrainian officials and Western supporters reject claims they threaten Russia, instead accusing Moscow of attempting territorial seizure.
During a separate Conference on Disarmament session in Geneva, a collection of primarily European representatives exited the room while Russian Ambassador Gennady Gatilov delivered his address. The departing diplomats assembled outside the venue, displaying Ukraine’s flag and wearing ribbons in the nation’s blue and yellow colors.
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock announced from New York that a resolution expressing alarm over Russia’s invasion and demanding an immediate ceasefire plus enduring peace agreement was being prepared.
