Ukraine President Zelensky Says Russian Troops ‘No Different From Terrorists’ In UN Address
Zelensky demanded accountability for Russian "crimes" in Ukraine and called for Russia's expulsion from the UN Security Council.
New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his first address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) since the Russian invasion, said the actions of Russian troops were "no different from other terrorists such as Daesh".
Zelensky demanded accountability for Russian "crimes" in Ukraine and called for Russia's expulsion from the UN Security Council. He said the massacre in Bucha was only one example of what Russian forces were doing in Ukraine for the past 41 days.
"Civilians were crushed by tanks, women were raped and killed in front of their children. What Russian military did in Bucha is cruelty. The UN Charter has been violated literally," The Guardian quoted Zelensky as saying.
READ | US President Biden Calls For War Crimes Trial After Images Of Mass Grave In Ukraine's Bucha Surface
"Russia's actions in Ukraine have resulted in the most terrible war crimes of all times we have seen since the end of World War Two," he further said.
Images showing bodies strewn across a street in Kyiv suburb of Bucha following the withdrawal of Russian forces have gone viral on social media. A mass grave in the town has also been found, with residents saying they believe at least 400 people were buried there.
"Some of them were shot on the streets, others were thrown into the wells so they die. They are in suffering. They were killed in their apartments, houses blown up by grenades," Zelensky told the UNSC in the presence of Moscow's envoy.
Speaking at the UNSC, Zelensky said, “They shot and killed women outside their houses when they just tried to call someone who is alive. They killed entire families, adults and children and they tried to burn the bodies."
“I am addressing you on behalf of the memory of the deceased every single day and the memory of the civilians who were shot and killed in the back of their head after being tortured," he further said.
Zelensky has already addressed more than a dozen assemblies via video connection, including the British House of Commons and the United States Congress.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Zelensky in a video speech said, “I would like to emphasise that we are interested in the most complete, transparent investigation, the results of which will be known and explained to the entire international community."
US President Joe Biden on Monday called the atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Ukraine's Bucha a "war crime" and sought a trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Joe Biden told reporters that President Vladimir Putin was a "war criminal" and the deaths "a war crime"
Earlier today, the EU executive had recommended additional sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, including a ban on coal imports and a ban on Russian ships accessing European ports.
In a video address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "Russia is waging a cruel, ruthless war, also against Ukraine's civilian population. We need to sustain utmost pressure at this critical point," news agency AFP reported.
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