Ukraine war: Zelensky tells UN of horrors of Russian invasion

• Posted on April 6, 2022April 6, 2022
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Russian military of carrying out the worst crimes since World War Two.

He told the UN security council that civilians had been murdered and Russian tanks had crushed people “for pleasure”.

He called for those responsible to be tried as Nazis wer at Nuremberg.

Gruesome images of bodies lying in the street in towns such as Bucha have generated condemnation worldwide.

After his speech by video link to the Security Council, Mr Zelensky showed a graphic video of images of dead Ukrainians, some burned and disfigured.

“The Russian military searched for and purposefully killed anyone who served our country,” he said.

“They killed entire families, adults and children, and they tried to burn the bodies.”

Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said there was no evidence Russian troops had carried out atrocities.

“We’ve heard once again a huge amount of lies about Russian soldiers and military,” he said.

Moral high ground

As expected, President Volodymyr Zelensky launched a ferocious, passionate attack on the Russian military for its alleged violations in Bucha and elsewhere.

The catalogue of horrors Mr Zelensky lists includes throats slashed, limbs cut off, and women raped in front of their children.

He says there’s no difference between this and the actions of terrorists, except that Russia is a member of the UN Security Council.

This is the speech of a man who feels he has the highest of moral high grounds.

The Ukrainian government started a war crimes investigation on Monday after it said the bodies of 410 civilians had been found in areas around Kyiv.

The images from Bucha prompted US President Joe Biden to call for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes.

A growing number of Western nations have expelled Russian diplomats in response to the discovery of the atrocities, while new sanctions against Russia are being discussed.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will travel to Kyiv to meet the Ukrainian president later in the week, Ms von der Leyen’s spokesman said.

-BBC