UN General Assembly: Zelensky outlines 5-part Ukraine war peace plan in scathing speech against Russia

Joe Biden announced a new package of $2.9 billion in US support for humanitarian and food assistance in response to food shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate change.

Mr Biden said around 193 million people around the world are experiencing acute food insecurity, “a jump of 40 million in a year.”

He also rejected Moscow’s claims that sanctions against Russia were to blame for the crisis.

“Russia … is pumping out lies, trying to pin the blame for the crisis — the food crisis — on the sanctions imposed by many in the world for the aggression against Ukraine. So let me be perfectly clear about something: Our sanctions explicitly allow, explicitly allow, Russia the ability to export food and fertilizer. No limitation,” he said.

Former US president Donald Trump warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could “end up being World War III.”

Mr Trump’s comments came a day after Vladimir Putin appeared to threaten nuclear strikes in response to Russia’s failure to achieve its objectives in Ukraine.

“President Putin of Russia is now threatening the use of Nuclear Weapons, saying ‘It is not a bluff.’ The Ukrainian conflict should never have happened, and would not have happened if I were President. But as I have made very clear for quite some time, this could now end up being World War III,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A day earlier, Mr Putin said in a nationally televised address: “Russia will use all the instruments at its disposal to counter a threat against its territorial integrity—this is not a bluff.”

Russian president Vladimir Putin will not attend the UN General Assembly in New York this week, instead choosing to send a foreign minister. But he has managed to cast a long shadow over the proceedings nevertheless. In an address to the nation earlier today, Putin told Russian citizens that he would be “partially mobilizing” people on reserve lists and with prior military experience to help with the war in Ukraine. Considering this was supposed to be a two-week venture with few military losses, it’s hard to read this as anything less than an admission of failure. Putin also ramped up the rhetoric on nuclear weapons, saying that he would use “all means” to defend his citizens and adding that “those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction”.

President Biden’s address to the 77th Session today was expected to focus on those strong words — and he delivered. Just after 10.45am local time, the US president spoke to the gathered world leaders, plus that Russian foreign minister and the minister sent in place of Chinese president Xi Jinping. (Although Xi’s absence could signal China’s allegiance with Russia over the war in Ukraine, Putin admitted just this week that China had “questions and concerns” about how long it was dragging on.)

“Putin’s own words make his aims unmistakable,” the US president said, before quoting Putin’s claims about Ukraine belonging historically to Russia.

“This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, pure and simple,” Biden added later. “Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe, that should make your blood run cold.”

Holly Baxter reports for The Independent:

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso implored other countries to offer more help to migrants -- specifically those from Venezuela -- seeking refuge during his address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr Lasso told the delegation that Ecuador “welcomes migrants” and that the country has traditionally “been one of the biggest host countries of refugees in the entire Western Hemisphere.” He added that Ecuador provides migrants with not only social services, but assistance with the legal immigration process.

“These people have no other option other than to flee. For example, half a million Venezuelans today live in Ecuador we are one of the three main destinations for migrants from this country,” he said.

He then went on to call on others to support Ecuador in its work to help those who are fleeing their home countries.

“This is why I repeat — Ecuador is there for the world. The world can count on Ecuador and I know that the world will support us for this plan for regularizing the status of our Venezuelan brethren who have had to flee their country,” Mr Lasso said.

Mr Lasso’s remarks come in the wake of Florida Gov Ron DeSantis sending two planes of undocumented migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts last week. Of those sent to the island, Axios reported that “some 50” were “believed to be from Venezuela.”

Officials told the Associated Press on Monday that the number of Venezuelans who have been taken into custody at the US and Mexico border “soared in August.” The organization noted that Venezuelans were stopped a whopping 25,349 times in August, which is “up 43% from 17,652 times in July and four times the 6,301 stops recorded in August 2021.”

French president Emmanuel Macron criticised Russian president Vladimir Putin’s declaration of a partial military mobilisation on Wednesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Mr Macron decried the decision "to drag (Putin’s) country, and in particular his country’s youth, into the war."

"And so today, Russia is increasingly isolated," he added.

Mr Macron’s remarks come a day after Mr Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 troops to shore up his forces, which have been pushed back in recent weeks by the Ukrainian army.

His comments came as US president Joe Biden condemned Russia’s “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine in a speech to the UN general assembly.

Moldova’s president Maia Sandu spoke out against Russia’ invasion of Ukraine and its occupation of the breakaway region of Transnistria at the UN general assembly.

“This war is not just an attack on our neighbour and friend Ukraine, it is an attack on the rules-based international order. It is an attack on nuclear safety. It is an attack on food supplies to countries in the Middle East and Africa,” she told the chamber.

“We all want peace,” she added, before outlining the cost of the war and associated food crisis on her country.

“Our resources are strained. Investments have slowed down. Trade and transport routes are disrupted. Inflation is nearing 35 per cent,” she said.

She also called for the “complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops” from the Transnistria region of Moldova.

“In the face of man-made human suffering… the countries of the world must stand together once again. We must do so to reaffirm the value of peace and the inviolability of human life to defend democracy and freedom and to uphold the right of every country to decide their own fate,” she concluded.

European foreign ministers are set to meet on the sidelines of the UN general assembly Wednesday to discuss new support for Ukraine following Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to mobilise some 300,000 troops for his war effort.

The urgent meeting also aims to address Russia’s announced intention to annex parts of southern Ukraine that it captured early in the conflict.

"The ministers have to discuss this threat, to reiterate the continuing support to Ukraine and to alert the international community about the unacceptable situation in which Putin is putting all of us," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters.

He added that ministers would discuss an eighth sanctions package on Russia, as well as additional support for the war effort.

“It’s clear Russia wants to destroy Ukraine,” Mr Borrell said. “We will not be intimidated.”

Yesterday, Mr Putin announced a partial mobilisation of 300,000 troops to shore up his forces, which have been pushed back in recent weeks by the Ukrainian army.

We’re back. It’s the Super Bowl of intergovernmental meetings, the annual event the shareholders of Ferrero Rocher dream of. This week is the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly — and the most important date in the calendar for diplomats like me.

This year’s General Assembly couldn’t be more timely; yet global optimism and internal morale at the UN are both low. Voices calling for recovery from the Covid pandemic are being drowned out by the noise of world leaders condemning the Ukrainian crisis. Diplomats representing countries around the world have been arguing among themselves about which is a bigger and more urgent problem — with the exception of the president of Colombia, who chose to dedicate most of his own speech to fentanyl addiction. So unexpected was this that there was some bemusement about whether the translators were translating his speech accurately. They were.

The truth is that within this melange of pageantry, prestige and purported progress, many issues are neglected. This year, there’s a clear elephant in the room. No wonder a lot of people are worried about the UN’s impotence — not least the people, like myself, who work within it.

Emin Pasha reports for The Independent:

Hungary’s president Katalin Novák warned of the “threat of escalation” in Ukraine and called for war crimes investigations into abuses against civilians.

“It is in the strongest possible terms that we call for the investigation of war crimes committed against innocent civilians,” she told the UN general assembly.

“These crimes must be documented, investigated and prosecuted by the relevant international institutions, so no crimes can go unpunished,” she added.

Hungary is Russia’s closest ally in Europe and has in the past threatened to veto tougher sanctions against Moscow in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Novák ended her speech with a call for peace.

“What do we want in the UN? To win the war? We should not stand to win any war. We need to stand for restoring the peace,” she said.

UK prime minister Liz Truss and US president Joe Biden met on Wednesday during the United Nations General Assembly.

The transatlantic allies discussed issues ranging from Iran and North Ireland, to the war in Ukraine.

“The leaders condemned Putin’s recent belligerent statements on Ukraine,” according to a Downing Street readout of the discussion.

“They agreed his actions highlight the need for allies to continue their economic and military support to Ukraine.”