scale backs have to happen, do we have to see that before the discussion, that donbas is being regarded different in the rest of the country? >> you heard from our colleagues at the white house and the secretary that the invasion has begun. when we spoke about the beginning of the invasion, we talked about developments over the course of a 24 hour period. vladimir putin's recognition of the so-called r&r -- the order he conveyed to deploy forces into the donbas, the authorization that he sought to send russian service members into service extraterritorial ly. the rhetorical assault essentially that we saw president putin deliver against ukraine, denying ukraine its -- ♪

>> the council is called to order. the provisional agenda for this meeting is dated 28th of february 2014 from the permanent presented of ukraine to the united nations addressed to the president of the security counsel. the agenda is adopted. in accordance with rule 37 of the councils provisional rules of procedure, i invite representatives of germany and ukraine to participate in this meeting. it is so decided. in accordance i also welcome to this meeting the united nations

secretary-general, and tony -- secretary-general. and in accordance with rule 39 of the council, provisional rules of procedure, i invite rosemary and the secretary-general -- two per dissipate. the council will now consider its consideration of item two of the agenda. i wish to welcome the secretary-general and give him the floor. >> thank you very much mr. president. mr. president, excellencies, i worked to reaffirm what i expressed this morning in the meeting at the general assembly. it would not make any sense to bother you reading the same text i'm sure you are all aware of.

in between, during the day, a number of events took place and with your permission mr. president, i would like to ask miss rosemary decarlo to be able to brief you on those events. simultaneously, today was full of rumors and indications that dutch offenses against ukraine was imminent. in the recent past there were several situations with similar dedications, similar rumors. and i never believed in them, convinced that nothing serious would happen. i was wrong.

i would like not to be wrong again today. so if indeed an operation is being prepared, i have one thing to say from the bottom of my heart. president putin, stop your tricks with ukraine. give peace a chance. too many people about it he died. thank you, mr. president. >> i think the secretary-general for his introductory remarks. i now gave the floor to miss decarlo. >> thank you, mr. president. earlier today, the so-called authorities of the people's republic quested military assistance for the russian federation.

also today, the ukrainian authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency and announced other related defense and security measures, including the mobilization of reserves. throughout the day, there were disturbing reports of continued heavy shelling across the contact line and civilians and military casualties. there were also reports of repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure. this evening, different media are carrying reports of an ongoing large-scale military buildup toward ukraine. the russian federation has also reportedly shut airspace to civilian aircraft near the border with ukraine. the united nations cannot verify any of these reports, but if these developments were conformed -- confirmed, they

would greatly impact a dangerous situation. ukrainian authorities are also reporting a new large-scale cyberattack targeting several states and financial institutions. mr. president, president zelensky earlier this evening call for continued diplomacy. separately, president putin also spoke about his continued readiness to engage in dialogue. we encourage such efforts even at this late hour. u.n. staff remain on the ground to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of ukraine. we are committed to staying and delivering. all parties must ensure their safety and security. respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is also paramount.

we cannot predict exactly what will happen in the coming hours and days in ukraine. what is clear is the unacceptably high cost in human suffering and destruction of an escalation. the people of ukraine want peace, and i'm certain you want peace. we must do everything in our power to ensure that peace prevails. thank you, mr. president. >> i think her for her briefing and give the floor to those council members who wish to make statements. i give the floor to the representative of albania. >> thank you, mr. president. colleagues, the first time the -- fourth time the council's meeting on ukraine in a matter of weeks. every time we meet, reality on the ground confirms what we have

all been anticipating. russia has been saying one thing -- and its country. we are told troops that we were told to stop hysteria when troops were in russian territory, they are invading unprovoked. this confirms to us and the world that russian worries have nothing to do with it security. that this issue is not a confrontation between the west. this is a confrontation between russia and international law. they have chosen to ignore a confrontation between this vision and their world order.

it's not about russia's concern, it is about russia's appetite. the ukrainians are facing this because they dare to exist, because they have opted for democracy. dear colleagues, this is a dark hour not only for ukraine, but for the entire international community as we witness with trepidation the progression of a pure act of aggression, carefully planned and cold-blooded lay being executed. we call for a backdown of the russian federation from this self-destructive action. we receive the same call to russia to stop, reflect, reverse this decision, reverse this madness, to de-escalate, not to push toward the precipice. those proposals have been made, including by president zelensky,

whose calls remain unanswered. it is like hope. for it to work it must be not ignored as the secretary-general called for. we call on members of the security counsel to rally in support of crane sovereignty -- ukraine sovereignty and integrity. they have been worn -- warned they will be responsible for this, and for the destruction in the heart of europe in between for sentry. if they continue to execute their plans as this indicates, they will bear not only the consequent is of the world dutch war, but blame from invading neighboring countries. the council calls for it to work and help preserve security, not

to torpedo it. in concluding, i call--i would like to convey to him that this most critical moment in their history, they are not alone and we stand firm in solidarity with them for their right to be free and choose who they want to be. thank you. >> i think the representative of albania for his statement and give the floor to the representative of the united states. >> thank you mr. president. in thank you secretary-general. thank you for your strong stance and your powerful remarks today at the general assembly, and for your remarks tonight.

colleagues, a few moments ago i spoke to president biden, who asked me to convey in the strongest possible terms his and our steadfast support for ukraine and support for the urgent meeting this counsel has convened. he asked me to share that the united states and our allies and partners will continue to respond to russia's actions with unity, clarity and conviction. we are here tonight because we believe, along with ukraine, that a full-scale further invasion into ukraine by russia is imminent. tonight, we are seeing the russians move troops into donbas and move forces into combat ready positions. this is a perilous moment and we

are here for one reason and one reason only. to ask russia to stop. return to your borders, send your troops and your tanks and your planes back to their barracks and hangers. and send your diplomats to the negotiating table. back away from the brink before it is too late. last week, the united states informed this counsel and the world about what we expected to see unfold. we said that russia would manufacture a pretext for an attack. we have since seen it numerous things stage along lines of contact in donbas. we said russia would theatrically convene emergency meetings at the highest levels of the russian government. we all saw this on monday with the state televised security

council meeting held by president putin, an orchestra did moment in which the russian government decided to recognize as, and i quote, independent space, sovereign territory of ukraine controlled by russian proxies since 2014. they violated ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity on live television before the world. we said that false proclamation would come, declaring russia would need to defend themselves in ukraine. we got that and more from the president's speech on monday and during the speech of the russian ambassador in the general assembly today. no one could have predicted how dangerous, inciting and far-reaching president putin speech would be, with putin

arguing for taking the world back in time to an era of empires and colonies. finally, we said the attack would come next, that we could expect communications to be jammed, cyber attacks to shut down key ukrainian institutions. last week we attributed to russia denial of service attacks since ukrainian banks, and we saw similar activity this morning targeting government sites as well. and in the last few hours, we have received very concerning reports of destructive malware placed on hundreds of computers and executed on at least some. after that, we said here come the bombs and the missiles, the soldiers in the tanks. already, soldiers have been deployed to the occupied region of ukraine.

ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight because we believe the rest is imminent. now, over the past few weeks, russia has called our predictions hysterical. russia said we were lying. russia said we were supplying the world with misinformation. russia's diplomats even laughed in the face of the human suffering we were sounding the alarm about. but what we feared would happen has come to pass for all of the world to see. so let us be clear. all parties are not culpable here. there is no middle ground. calling for both sides to de-escalate only gives russia a pass. russia is the aggressor here. russia's attacks on ukraine is penta mont -- penta mount to an

attack -- tantamount to an attack on an attack here tonight. russia is bypassing its dutch it entirely and taking matters into his own hands. and that undermines the institution, it undermines everyone who participates in it. the united states, ukraine, its allies and partners across europe, u.n. officials, every other member of the security council. we have all repeatedly implored russia to engage at the diplomatic table. those calls were not heard. instead, tonight russia has wrought its people, the ukrainian people and the world to the brink of a conflict that will produce an untold amount of

human suffering. i said it in the general's emily this morning and i will say again tonight. every day russians should be asking themselves how many russian lives putin will sacrifice for his cynical ambitions. responsible members of this security council will stand together, and we will stand with ukraine, and we will do so despite a reckless, irresponsible, permanent member of the security council abusing its powers to attack its neighbor and subvert the u.n. and our international system. this morning in the general assimilate, we saw dozens of leaders from across the globe stand up to defend the u.n. charter and ukraine against russia's brazen attacks.

we were proud to stand with them. today i had the opportunity to meet with the ukrainian foreign minister, and many of you were in the generalissimo hall this morning when the foreign minister received enthusiastic and overwhelming applause after his remarks. since he could not be here this evening, i would like to conclude by echoing his words. this morning he warned us all that quote, no one should sit out this crisis if president putin decides that he can move forward with this aggression against ukraine. your governments and your people will face cancel consequences together with our government and our people. he is right. history tells us that. and we must confront this threat head on in this counsel in the

u.n. and in our capitals. the people of ukraine are counting on us. let's not let them down. thank you, mr. president. >> i think the representative of the united states for statement and i give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. >> mr. president, i think the secretary-general and undersecretary general for their remarks. we are here tonight to call on russia to avert war. for months, russia has been holding a gun to ukraine's head. now, president putin's finger is on the trigger. a full-scale conflict in a country of 44 million people will bring immense suffering,

casualties on both sides and devastating humanitarian consequences. the members of this counsel, the general assembly and the secretary-general have all called this week for respect for the principles of the u.n. charter. the world is calling for peace. but russia is not listening. mr. president, make no mistake. the u.k. will not compromise. we will not compromise our commitment to ukraine sovereignty. our support for peace, prosperity and democratic freedom of the people of ukraine.

we will not compromise our commitment to the purpose and principle of the u.n. charter. above all, the setting principle of this united nations that we live together in peace with one another as good neighbors. russia's actions are an assault on the charter. we will not compromise our commitment to a search for peace . we are here for the second time this week in the council. my prime minister and foreign and defense secretaries have been unsparing in the diplomatic efforts. we have also announced a significant further sanction against russia with our allies. a package targeted against some

of the russian oligarchs, banks, and supporting president putin. and we will ratchet up economic consequences should russia continue its aggression. there is still time for restraint, reason and de-escalation. but that time is now. thank you. >> i think the representative of the united kingdom for her statement and give the floor to the representative from france. >> president, i think the secretary-general for his engagement and for his call which france fully supports. as we speak, russia is on the verge of provoking kyiv in

ukraine and striking an unjustifiable blow to peace and security in the heart of europe. for several months, the president of the russian federation has patiently prepared the means for a major offensive against ukraine. there are soldiers and they have gathered weapons at an unprecedented level. he has denied the legitimacy of the ukrainian statement. he has attacked sovereignty and the integrity of ukraine by recognizing the independence of portions of ukrainian territory. faced with a strategy of threats and destabilization, ukraine has

demonstrated admirable restate best restraint. it did not result in violence despite russian provocation. i wish to reiterate solidarity with the people of ukraine as president mccall -- macron reminded his ukrainian counterpart of yours ago. faced with the strategy of disorder and confrontation, the leaders of europe and the united states showed the unity and redoubled their efforts to propose a diplomatic outcome. president macron together with chancellor scholz and many partners have done their part. they have demonstrated their availability to build with russia a renewed security architecture for europe. francis strongly condemns the strategy of provocation to war of russian president.

we hear the call of the ukrainian people conveyed by president zelensky and his russian nation, ukrainians want peace. they want a relationship of mirroring the family personal relationships which bind so many russians and ukrainians. the international community, mrh heard its united voice at the general assembly. the peaceful settlement of disputes. that of diplomacy echoes the clear declaration of the secretary general. again we call on the russian

federation to follow this path, to draw back on its decision to recognize separatist entities and to call its soldiers back. we call each of the members of this council act responsibility and to resolutely support all initiatives to prevent and put an end. if russia confirms its choice is washing it will have to take all of the responsibility and pay the price. >> i now give the floor to the representative from ireland. >> thank you, mr. president and i would like to thank the secretary general and secretary decarlo for their sobering remarks at the beginning of our meeting. tonight we are staring into the abyss of a major conflict in

europe that would have major implications. tonight the core principles of this united nations in which we believe are under attack. in ireland we know the importance of the rules-based international order. we know the importance of respecting the voice and integrity of all countries, big or small. most fundamentally, we know the value of peace. we believe that one state threatening and using lethal force against another to get its way or expand its territory is no solution. ireland has a deep understanding formed by our history that dialogue and respect resolve disputes. tonight this dives our solidarity with ukraine. it is our collective

responsibility and obligation here at this table to maintain international peace and security. nothing less. that means we stand up for the sovereignty and integrity of every member state to have united nations. -- of the united nations. let's be clear, the internationally recognized borders of ukraine have not changed. the decision by russia to recognize the nongovernment-controlled areas of donetsk and areas of ukraine does not change those borders one iota. it did not change in 2014 and they have not changed this week. we urge the russian federation to reverse this decision immediately. we urge the russian federation to refrain from further unilateral actions which can

only serve to further deepen this crisis. tonight the path for diplomacy, the path for dialogue that we have called on for so long is perilously narrow. the principles have already been breeched. they now risk being further violated. this is the time to show courage, the courage and the time now to pull back from the precipice. the time to return to dialogue and homes. the use of military aggression has no place in our modern world. have we learned absolutely nothing from our history? these united nations rose from the ashes of two world wars. the senseless destruction was born of a belief that military

might makes right. this philosophy applied with modern weaponry would unleash devastation and human suffering impacting mill yorches people. tonight we stand with the people of ukraine. tonight we stand with the u.n. charter. we stand with those who in this dark hour still have the courage and hope to bring us back if this precipice. a resort to military conquests for one state to impose its will unilaterally against another to annex part of its territory has sleult absolutely no place in the 21st century. there is still a choice. a choice to turn from the path of war to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. mr. president, it is never too late to make the right choice.

thank you. >> i thank the representative of ireland for her statement and give the floor to the representative of india. >> thank you, mr. president. let me begin by thanking the secretary general for his briefing on the e involving situation in the eastern regions of ukraine. the secretary council met two days ago and discussed the situation. we have called for urgent d escalation of tensions and focus on diplomacy to address all issues concerning the situation. however, we call on the international community to give time to defuse tensions. it is spiraling into a major crisis. we express our deep concern over

the development which if not handled carefully may well undermine the peace and security of the region. we call for immediate deescalation and for refraining from any further action that could contribute to a worsening of the situation. we call on all parties. i would like to underline the legitimate security of all parties should be fully taken into account. india has consistently advocated at the united nations the need for peaceful settle yellow light ments.located in different partf ukraine including in its broader areas. we are -- the return of all indian nationals including students as may be required.

we believe that the solution lies in sustained diplomatic dialogue between the concerned parties. the need for all sides to maintain peace and security. i thank you. >> i thank the representative of india for his statement and give the floor to the representative from the united arab emirates. >> mr. president, this is the fourth meeting held by the council for you crane this month. -- ukraine this month. in light of the recent

tensionses, my country has take an firm position calling for deescalation and efforts to find a solution for the crisis. in this contest ks we would -- context wealth like to point out the following. engaging in good faith, at all level os support the opportunities for peace on the basis of international law. the missing agreements continue constitute a good way to maintain security. we stress the importance -- international law and the united nations. in settling disputes through peaceful means and respecting the sovereignty. adherence to these principles

and in compliant with the charter of the united nations, finding a sustainable peaceful solution to the crisis. the crisis in eastern ukraine could exacerbate conditions. furthermore there are obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to some of those in need. even before there the recent tensions arrived particularly in the areas in eastern ukraine. any further escalation could worsen. we emphasize the importance of desque ratings. -- deescalation. we urge all parties not to obstruct the access to humanitarian aid or the movement

of -- in accordance with the obligations under international law. finally mr. president, we reiterate the importance of deescalation, constructive dialogue and to continue efforts to reach peaceful solution consistent with international law and the charter of the united nations. thank you. >> i thank the representative of the united arab emirates and give the floor to the representative from norway. >> president, i thank the secretary general for their important statements. we are facing the dire prospect of a major war in europe. norway strongly condemns the decision by president putin to send russian troops into donetsk

regions in the latest announcements of military operations. these decisions are unjustified and unprovoked and irresponsible. we call on russia to reverse these decisions and to immediately, completely and unconditionbly withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of ukraine and in the vicinity to have internationally recognized borders. our thoughts are with those who have already suffered too much due to these conflicts and to all of us who are afraid tomorrow will be a lost -- we call on all parties to respect the international humanitarian law which calls on the protection of civilians including humanitarian personnel and civilian infrastructure and to facilitate safe, rapid

humanitarian access to those in need in ukraine. like the secretary general clearly stated, the decision to recognize the so-called independence of donetsk regions are a violation of the integrity and sovereignty of ukraine and are inconsistent with the principles on the charter of the united nations. let me recall the principles and purposes of the u.n. charter which are now under threat. the charter applies to all nations including russia. today in the general assembly memory states from all over the world strongly urge the parties to pursue negotiations with respect to international law and ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity. as a party o the mink agreement

and the conflict, to fulfill itself commitment to return to the path of diplomacy. russia has taken on a clear commitment to seek a peaceful settlement to these conflict and must honor it. president, let me conclude by again, unwavering support for sovereignty and integrity within its international recognized borders. thank you. >> i thank the representative of norway for her statement and give the floor to the representative of china. >> thank you, mr. president. mr. president, the situation in ukraine is at a critical juncture. china has been paying close attention to the situation. in the current context, all

parties concerned should exercise restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions. we believe that the door to a peaceful solution to the ukraine issue not fully shut. nor should it be. china has pointed out on many occasions that there is a complex -- the current situation is the result the interplay of many factors. china's position regarding the integrity of allstates has been consistent. the purposes and principle of the u.n. charter should be jointly upheld. we hope all parties concerned will stay rational and commit themselves to dialogue and consultation to resolve government issues properly and

address each other legitimate security concerns. it is especially important at the moment to avoid fueling tensions. china will continue to promote peace talks and welcomes and encourages all efforts aimed at a diplomatic solution. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the representative of china for his statement and give the floor to the representative of brazil. >> thank you, mr. president. i would like to thank secretary general and undersecretary general for the information and remarks they have put before the council tonight. mr. president. the reports received about the movement of troops into certain areas of donetsk in the ukraine are calls for extreme concern.

the fact or use of force against the territory integrity, sovereignty and political independence of a u.n. member state is unacceptable. under the circumstances, the security council must act according to its main purpose as holder of the primary responsibility under the charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. in the exercise of this responsibility, its actions must be geared towards intentions, assisting parties in their negotiations. this is our primary role. confrontation cannot lead to lasting peace. in that regard, we call on all parties to exercise maximum

restraint and refrain from any action that may further increase tensions on the ground. the time is not for the -- military threats but to engage truly in a diplomatic process. the negotiations have not been exhausted. immediate d escalation is of high order. it means complete withdrawal of all military forces as an effective measure for the removal of threats to peace. parties must abide by the terms of the minsk agreements for a comprehensive cease-fire. report accordingly in the

violation of the cease-fire. furthermore, the parties must allow the rapid, safe, and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in need. the protection of civilians including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations must be respected unconditionally. we redouble our calls for the parties to work constructively in all relevant instances. negotiations must be mindful of the principles of the u.n. charter including sovereignty, independence and ter tomorrow integrity of its -- teartorial integrity of its member states. security concerns of all parts of the conflict and on the other hand create adequate conditions for an inclusive political

dialogue which must reflect the diversity of and include representation for all people of the region. brazil does not underestimate the complexity of this current situation but we insist on dialogue as keys to achieve a lasting settlement to this conflict. too much is at stake here. above all, the life of many civilians. we owe them all of our efforts to bring this crisis to a peaceful solution. i thank you, mr. president. >> i thank representative of brazil for his statement and give the floor to the representative of ghana. >> thank you very much, mr. president. and let me begin by first of all thanking the secretary general decarlo. mr. secretary general, ghana is grateful to you for your --

ukraine and defence over the charter, our collective -- it has implications not only for you crane but also for all of our countries. security indivisible. as indicated in our statement to the council on monday night, ghana deeply regrets the russian decision to not recognize the government controlled regimes of ukraine. we are deeply concerned by the implications and suggest that the russian federation has gone back on the minsk agreements and

the implementation of the agreement related to -- we have reported this morning -- the president over the russian federation that the country was always open to diplomacy. the diplomacy -- the russian federation has -- should be desque laying tensions on the ground. -- de-escalating tensions on the ground. the conflict rather than peace. bear the consequences of their actions. they are concerned by reports of the commencement of warfare against ukraine, especially cyber attacks against some of its critical infrastructure. to de-escalate the situation,

consider the intentions to move troops into the eastern part of ukraine. peace keeping -- require the parties. they are not fulfilling those requirements. call on all parties to maintain cease-fire in eastern ukraine. we are particularly concerned by the violations of the cease-fire and if consequences -- in the donbas region. impeded access and -- government

and nongovernment controlled areas. we condemn any activity that would -- civilians and infrastructure and remind all parties -- that exist in international law. mr. president, begging the question but nonetheless worth repeating. ghana stands by the sovereignty of ukraine. whose membership of this organization provides grantees of our recognized borders. the same borders of which they joined this organization. i encourage to address both immediate and long-term interests, true diplomacy and die looking -- through diplomacy and dialogue.

i remind all parties to practice tolerance. finally we take this opportunity to urge all member states to exercise restraint. and to uphold -- established through the charters of the united nations. must be adjusted by peaceful -- i thank you very much. >> i thank representative of ghana for his statement and give the floor to the representative of kenya. >> thank you, mr. president. i thanks the secretary general for his urgent plea for peace and undersecretary general decarlo for her briefing. in this grave moment, kenya continues to call for respectful

sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of ukraine in line with the ten ents of thuation -- tenantses ofuation's charter. kenya is deeply concerned, following the recognition of donetsk, independent states by the russian federation and the continued military escalation. we are concerned that there is a serious risk that a con enveloping the whole of the region would develop and it would instantly lead to significant loss of life, a humanitary crisis and a large scale of population movement of refugees. kenya calls for calm by all parties and their commitment to protecting civilians and

civilian objects from any actions contrary to international law and international humanitarian law. we continue to believe there is still an opportunity for diplomacy to produce a solution to this dangerous crisis. the required diplomatic steps should seek in the short-term for the deescalation of the situation and the limiting of all military maneuvers to prevent sparking a wider conflict. for this to happen, there must also be a state commitment to negotiations between nato and the russian federation. such a commitment would need to design a viable security architecture for europe that protects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of ukraine and other states while being sensitive to the concerns of all relevant parties.

mr. president, we want to believe that this chamber in light of its storyed past contains the wisdom and wherewithal. we are complete confident that thuation's charter protects ukraine and all countries. not only those with modest military means but also the world's nuke powers. when we consider the recent paths of war undertaken by choice and when the charter and international law are breached, eventually the safety and security of all parties was tragically undermined. mr. president, the membership of this chamber was fundamentally shaped by the states which emerged victorious from world war ii. in doing so, the charter put on them a responsibility to defeat

a unique evil to mankind. we believe that the evils would be -- today's multilateral system by the catastrophic war they have survived. so much so they were inspired to erect the sovereign equality of states as the central pillar of our united nations. as such, we urge all members to recall -- from war that have been experienced by most states sitting around this table. it is in this moment of peril that we can recommit to the charter our predecessors bequeathed us. a large part of that would be listening to the secretary general and utilizing the office to deliver according to their intended design. in the coming days, we hope we will observe the deescalation in

donbas and every effort will be made for the political oirchts ukraine. we further hope that we will benefit from the visionary leadership that the world needs today in committing to negotiating a lasting european architecture that lowers threats and promotes cooperation. i thank you. >> i thank the representative of kenya for his statement and give the floor to the representative of -- >> thank you. i thank the secretary general for his statement as well as undersecretary decarlo for the information she provided. this is the fourth time in three weeks this council is meeting to discuss the situation in ukraine. we are meeting this evening, 48

hours after our last meeting on the subject because the territorial integrity and the national sovereignty of ukraine have been attacked. we are meeting this evening because men, women and children are caught in murderous violence in eastern ukraine leading to a missive exodd us which imperils their dignity and safety. respective to a war with redoubtable consequences hangs over an entire region and because we fear an imminent invasion of ukraine. we see an attack on the fundamental principles of the charter of the united nations. and we must go further and ensure that all of the

provisions of the charter are respected and that the international community focus with the same commitment on the need for preserving peace and security. the decision of russia to recognize the independence of donetsk sidelines the relevance and importance over the menacing agreement and heightens an eminent military attack on crew yain. my country remains attached to the sovereignty of every state. it is basis of our social contract as members of the international community. we are persuaded that intense

diplomatic activity in recent leaks lead to the prevalence of the -- weeks will lead to the prevalence of dialogue and contribute to avoiding the irreparable eight years ago mr. president in a conflict similar to that which brings us here today, two member states of the general assembly abstained while the same fundamental principle osst of the charter over the united nations that bring us together today were violated. this refusal to align themselves not very long ago translates a lack of understanding, perhaps of the international community to have persistence of -- which

we thought had been overcome. unfortunately this terrible reality remains in several regions of the world, in asia and africa and today in europe once again. this council must guarantee the fundamental principles of the charter. it must ensure the respect of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. we call for an immediate cease-fire and deescalation as well as a sense of responsibility by giving priority to the peaceful settlement of conflicts in accordance with the charter and call for protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and refraining from any action that could create an obstacle for the provision of humanitarian assistance for the population that is so sorely needed.

my country's attachment to a rules-based international order, one based on the rule of law, not on the law that the strongest will prevail. thank you very much, sir. >> i thank the representative of gabon for his statement and give the floor to the representative from mexico exoavment. >> thank you mr. president. my country is grateful for call to have secretary general that in this chamber, and we thank him for being here. we also thank ms. decarlo for her briefing. widespread call from the international community, tensions around ukraine instead of having decreased have increased. for this reason, we see ourselves obliged to meet once again in this chamber.

we all as member states having ratified the charter of the united nations committed ourselves to respecting the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of the states, we members of the security security council have the first responsibility for the maintenance of peace and international security. this creates the obligation to guarantee that the security council can perform its mandates and ensure the respect for the charter of the united nations. mexico supporters all of the secretary general's statements and the good offices which the secretary general has offered. the president of mexico declared just this morning we will not accept the invasion of one country by another since it is against international law. we recall once again that russia a few days ago in this very chamber before the international community made an emphatic

declaration that it would not invade ukraine. the sending of a special mission runs counter to this statement. if there were an invasion, this would be an act of aggression in accordance with the resolution 3314 of the general assembly. we will not waiver in our call for a detaunt diplomacy. and dialogue. a diplomatic solution is the only way from drawing away from the precipice which would be a war in europe. thank you very much, sir. >> i thank the representative of mexico for her statement and now i shall make a statement in my capacity as a representative of the russian federation. colleagues today, we have had an intensive day from point of view to have discussions of the ukrainian crisis.

let me repeat what i said this morning at the general assembly. i can only say with regret, taking stock over the day signaled to kyiv to stop were not heeded. bombed and egged on by a host of states are harboring the illusion that with the benediction of their western sponsors they will be able to achieve solutions. shelling and acts of diversion on the territories of these reps. recorded today almost 2,000 cases of violations of the cease-fire regime including almost 1,500 explosions. those living in donetsk still sheltering in basements. the refugees are still flowing into russia.

you don't want to notice this, repeating the ukrainian fairy tells a, those living in donetsk are all but shelling themselves. it is no surprise it does not seem to affect our western colleagues. through the whole day of debate today at the general assembly you have not been able to find one word of compassion or condolences. it is as if these 4 million people for you simply don't exist. we would like to recall -- violation of which we are being accused of violating in ukraine, according to declaration of principles of international law, adopted in 1970, they should be fully complied with as states and conduct themselves in compliance with the rights and

self-determination of people, representing the people, without distinction of race, creed or color, the whole people living in that territory, end of quote. today's dwoft government in the ukraine -- government government in ukraine is not that. dialogue with the russian speaking citizens of ukraine. authorities brandished guns at them. it is more than sufficient, however our western colleagues prefer not to notice this. we tried yesterday and today for yesterday to explain to you the logic of the decision made by russia to recognize the lp r & d pr and focus on peace and security there. however, you don't want to hear

this and you don't want to hear it now. those living in donbas are pawns in a game of weakening russia. for us, these people are women, children, the elderly who for eight years have been cowering from ukraine shelling. a bit of a difference in our approaches. if you do not change the geo-political lens, you will ever understand. then on whose behalf this decision was made, have not thought about over these eight years simply calling them pro russian separatists and terrorists. those are the most important -- the root of today's crisis around ukraine is the actions of ukraine. many years of assault and battery tajeing its obligations under the minsk package of

measures. last week there was a hope that kyiv would rethink and implement what it signed up to do in 2015. they needed direct dialogue with donetsk. however they are not ready for this dialogue and steps to grant donbas a special state -- with the support of this position from western backers finally convinced us that we simply cannot force those living in the donbas to -- more. the provocation against those in donbas not only has not stopped but has intensified. the leaders of the lp r & d pr in line with lie lateral corporation agreements agreed at the same time recognition. this is a logical step. a consequence of the actions of the ukrainian regime.

during this meeting, the president of russia, putin, spoke with -- made a decision for a special military operation in donbas. we don't know all of the details today but briefly i would like to inform you that from his -- occupation of ukraine is not in our plans. the aim of the special operation is to protect the people who for eight years have been suffering genocide from the kyiv regime and for this, we will -- genocide of ukraine. also support those and hold accountable those who carried out so many crimes against civilians including the -- russian federation. this decision was made in line with article 51 of the u.n. charter and section of the russian federation and

fulfilling the agreement and recognition. we were receiving a lot of information and we will analyze this and keep you up to speed with this. now i will use my -- i give the floor to the representative of ukraine. >> distinguished members of the security council, secretary general, undersecretary, before i try to deliver part of the statement that i came here with tonight, most of it is already useless. since 10:00 p.m. new york time. i would like to cite article 4 of the u.n. charter.

and it says membership in the united nations is open to all peace loving states which accepts the obligations contained in the present charter and in the judgment of the organization are able and willing to carry out these obligations. russia is not able to carry out any of the obligations. the ambassador to have russian federation -- of the russian federation three minutes ago confirmed his president has declared a war on my country. so before i read part of my

statement, i would like to -- the presence to have secretary general and -- of the secretary general and request the secretary general to distribute among the members over the security council and the members of the general assembly the legal memos by the legal council over the united nations dated december 1991. and in particular the legal memo dated 19th of december, 1991. the one that we have been trying to get out of the secretary for a very long time and we were denied to get it. article 4, paragraph two of the charter reads the admission of any state for membership in the united nations will be affected

by the decision of the general assembly upon the accommodation of the security council. mr. secretary general, please instruct the driers distribute among the members of the security council and members of the general assembly a decision by the security council dated december, 1991, that republics that the russian federation can be a member of this organization. as well as the decision by the assembly dated december 1991 where the general assembly welcomes the russian federation to this organization. it would be a miracle if the secretary was able to produce such decisions. there is nothing in the charter of the united nations about --

as a sneaky way to get into the organization. so coming here an hour ago, i was intending the ask the russian ambassador to confirm on the record the russian troops will not start firing at ukrainians today and go ahead with the offensive. it became useless. 48 minutes ago. because about 48 minutes ago, your president declared war on ukraine. so now i would like to ask the ambassador of the russian federation to say on the record that at this very moment your troops do not shell and bomb ukrainian cities.

that your troops do not move in the territory of ukraine. you have a smart phone. you can call now. we can make a pause to let you go out and call hem. -- him. if you are not in the position to give an affirmative answer, the russian federation ought to relinquish spoabilities of the president of the security council plus and give the spoabilities to a legitimate member over the security council. remember to be respectful of the chatter and ask the members of the security council to convene an emergency meeting immediately and consider all necessary

decisions to stop the war because it is too late my dear colleagues to speak about deescalation. too late. the russian president declared a war. should i play the video of your president? should i do that right now? you can confirm it. do not interrupt me, please. thank you. >> don't ask me questions when i'm speaking. it is the responsibility of this body to stop the war. so i call on every one of you to do everything possible to stop the war. or should i play the video of your president declaring the war? thank you very much.

>> i must say that i thank the representative of ukraine for his statement and the questions i wasn't planning to answer them because i have already said all i know at this point, waking up mr. lavrov at this time is something i don't plan to do. the information we have is something we provide. this is not called a war. this is called a military operation in donbas. i now give the floor to the representative from germany. >> mr. president, we meet at the very moment of a military escalation we have not experienced in europe for over a generation's time. the president to have russian federation announced a military operation on ukrainian territory. we condemn this in the strongest possible terms. we call upon all members of the security council and the united nations to now stand up for you crane and against a shameless

breech of international law. two days ago russia's decision to recognize the self-proclaimed people's rep of donetsk was rejected in this council. it had already dealt a devastating blow to the principles and international order that the united nations stands for. russia has not listened and it turns out it was not prepared to listen. it has continued its massive military build-up and we observed and observed cyber attacks directed against ukraine and now russian military is moving into ukrainian territory. by the actions and this unprovoked military action, russia is violating the core principles of the u.n. charter. against innocent people and the violation of the integrity of ukraine in the strongest

possible terms. we urge russia to terminate its military action against ukraine immediately and restore its troops. mr. president, our thoughts are with the ukrainian people. we will be steadfast in our support for you crane and the u.n. charter. the russian aggression will come at an unprecedented price politically, economically and morally. mr. president, we stood ready for employment. for the summit that ukraine proposed with our allies and partners we called on russia to seek a diplomatic way forward in vain. now the charter and unilateral aggression. tonight we stand with ukraine and we are doing so unwavering and determined. thank you, mr. president.

>> i thanks the representative from germany for her statement. and now give the floor to the united states who wishes to make a further statement. >> thank you. in my remarks tonight, i said that we predicted russia's false flag attacks. the misinformation, the thee -- theatricalattacks. one piece had not come to pass. unfortunately while we have been meeting in the security council tonight, it appears that president putin has ordered that last step. at the exact time as we are gathered in the council seeking peace, putin delivered a message of war in total disdain for the responsibility of this council.

this is a grave emergency. the council will need to act and we will put a resolution on the table tomorrow. as president biden said tonight, russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring. and the united states and our allice and partners will -- allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. the world will hold russia accountable. thank you. >> i thank representative of the united states. for her statement. now i would like to give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom who asks to make a further statement. >> thank you. as we sat in this chamber urging russia to step back, president putin announced special military

operations on ukrainian territory. this is unprovoked and unjustified. this is a grave day for you crane and for the principles of the united nations. we and our partners have been clear that there will be consequences for russia's actions. we fully support the united states' call for u.n. security council resolution. this council must do ul it can to stop the war and uphold the charter. thank you. >> i thank representative to have united kingdom and give the floor to the representative of albania who also wished to make a further statement. >> dear colleagues. we could not end this meeting with what we have feared and anticipated is happening.

explosions are reported in kyiv and several of the cities in ukraine. tanks are -- as we speak, russia is -- its plan in attacking a neighbor to whom it decided to deny existence, freedom, land, dignity and life. we call on all of the members of the united nations to rally support. to stand with ukraine and its people, to condemn fully this aagree, stand for peace, rules, international law and whatever measures they deem necessary to show their actions will bear consequences. to reiterate, russia will be held responsible for causing pain and destruction.

for bringing -- choosing to detective -- russia will bear historical blame for consequences for invading a neighboring country and attempting to destroy european security. let's make sure it will not succeed. >> i thank the representative of albania and give the floor to the representative of france for a further statement. >> mr. president, at the time, when we were in an emergency meeting, to try to prevent the worst, war breaking out, we learned that the president over the federation had coordinated a special military operation in donbas and that russia will do it utmost to demilitarize

ukraine. russia has therefore chosen war. france condemns in the strongest possible terms the in addition of these operation -- the initiation of these operations. at the very moment when the council was meeting chose the disdain that russia has for international law and for the united nations. russia must be accountable to the security council for this reason. france will join its partners in this council and in the hours to come, we will prepare a resolution condemning the war conducted by russia. we call on all members of this council to support us and under these tragic circumstances we call on the russian federation

to respect international humanitarian law no matter what the circumstance is. we call for the protection and respect of all civilians including particularly vulnerable persons, women, children, and humanitarian personnel. thank you sir. >> i thank the representative of france and i give the floor now to the representative of ireland to make a further statement. >> thank you, mr. president. when i spoke earlier, i said that the path for diplomacy and the path for dialogue was perilously narrow. i didn't realize in fact how narrow and indeed how close to the precipice we were just over an hour ago. we now see that the path has been closed by the announcement of a military aggression on the part of the russian federation against ukraine. that is something that we

condemn. we stand with the people of ukraine tonight with every man, woman and child who has seen this news as we did as we sat here in the chamber. whose lives are at risk. we believe there is now time indeed for this council to stand up and assume its responsibility and to speak out in the strongest possible terms about this >> as i said, call putin. to stop aggression. i welcome the decision of some members of this council.

there is no perg tory for war criminals. they go straight to hell, ambassador. >> i wanted to say in conclusion that we are not being aggressive against ukrainian people but against the -- that is in power in kyiv. there are no more speakers on the list. this meeting is at journeyed. -- adjourned.

announcing that special military operation was underway in eastern ukraine with the goal of demilitarized the country. shortly after that there were reports of explosions in the capital city of kyiv and other ukrainian cities. the president says putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the united states and its allies and partners will respond in a

united and decisive way. the world will hold russia accountable. he went on to add that he will have more to say tomorrow morning. >> thursday secretary of state antony blinken talks about the crisis in ukraine and other foreign policy challenges with foreign affairs magazine editor. that is live at 11 a.m. on c-span, online on c-span.org, or watch full coverage on c-span now, our full -- free video app. >> broadband is a force for empowerment did that's why charter has invested billions knowing infrastructure, upgrading technology in communities big and small. charter is connecting us. >>