Ukraine, Russia envoys kick off contentious debate in rare UNGA special session
In an extraordinary emergency meeting of the U.N. General Assembly -- only the 11th in the body’s history -- representatives from Ukraine and Russia delivered fiery back-to-back remarks.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hilter.
“This war was not provoked. It was chosen by someone who is right now sitting in the bunker. We know what happened with the person who sat in the bunker in Berlin in May 1945," he said.
Kyslytsya accused Russia of carrying out war crimes, saying Russians "keep attacking kindergartens and orphanages, thus committing war crimes and violating the Rome Statute. Hospitals and mobile medical aid brigades are also targeted by the Russian shelling and sabotage groups working in Ukraine cities and towns.”
He concluded with an appeal for support, stressing that it was not just Ukraine at stake.
“If Ukraine does not survive, international peace will not survive," he said.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya denied the veracity of many of Kyslytsya’s claims, saying instead of discussing the roots of the “disinformation,” he wished to focus on the “real reasons for the crisis,” saying the fault lies with Ukraine itself. He cited baseless Kremlin-peddled claims that the country was carrying out a brutal attack on the people of the Donbas region and accused Western powers of turning “a blind eye."
Nebenzya also attempted to shift blame to the West.
“Our Western colleagues have shamelessly inundated the country with weapons, have sent to the country instructors, and effectively incited Ukrainians who are facing a 120,000-strong military contingent, and prompted them to engage in armed provocation again the Donbas,” he said.
This phase of debate on a resolution condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine has now concluded and the General Assembly is expected to vote on the resolution later on Monday.
-ABC News' Shannon Crawford
