'Stop War And Zelenskyy Won't...: UNSC Chair's Jibe At Russia For Objecting To Ukraine President's Address

Russia Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia objected to the address by Ukrainian President Volodymy Zelenskyy at the UN Security Council.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's at the UN Security Council

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A war of words erupted at the UN Security Council between Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, serving as session president, and Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia after the latter objected to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's first in-person address at the council. Moscoe has long maintained that its February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine does not amount to a war but was a mere "special military operation." As Russia objected to Zelenskyy's address, Rama offered a solution that did not go down well with Moscow. 

"I want to assure our Russian colleagues and everyone here that this is not a special operation by the Albanian presidency," said Rama, as per a Reuters report. 

"There is a solution for this," Rama continued, addressing Nebenzia directly: "If you agree, you stop the war and President Zelenskiy will not take the floor."

Nebenzia did not agree and went on to say that the session was a show and criticised Rama for what he said was making politically charged statements rather than acting as a neutral guardian of procedure. 

Following the session, the Ukrainian President thanked Rama on social media saying the Albanian PM, who is both an artist and former basketball player, "showed the world how to correctly handle Russia, its lies, and its hypocrisy."

After getting the floor following the back-and-forth, Zelenksyy asked that Russia be stripped of its veto right as one of the five permanent members of the post-World War II U.N. Security Council as punishment for attacking Ukraine.

"Ukraine exercises its right to self-defence," he said. 

"Helping Ukraine with weapons in this exercise, by imposing sanctions and exerting comprehensive pressure on the aggressor, as well as voting for relevant resolutions, would mean helping to defend the U.N. Charter," he added.

After Zelenskyy left, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared in the room and defended Moscow's use of the veto as legitimate, accusing Kyiv and the West of selectively following principles of the 1945 U.N. Charter only when it suits them.