UNITED NATIONS — The USA and Western allies took turns slamming Russia for its ongoing struggle in Ukraine and accused Moscow of trampling the U.N. Constitution, throughout a prolonged Safety Council assembly chaired by Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov, who flew from Moscow to New York to preside over the Safety Council, defended his nation’s “particular army operation” in Ukraine in opening remarks earlier than the worldwide discussion board. He additionally reiterated claims that Kyiv is the actual aggressor.

Lavrov then blamed america for exacerbating geopolitical challenges world wide, together with tensions between China and Taiwan.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., positioned the blame squarely again on Russia throughout her opening remarks earlier than the 15-member group.

“Our hypocritical convener as we speak, Russia, invaded its neighbor Ukraine and struck on the coronary heart of the U.N. Constitution,” Thomas-Greenfield mentioned, referring to the U.N.’s founding doc that vows to protect sovereignty, peace, justice and the prevention of struggle.

“This unlawful, unprovoked and pointless struggle runs straight counter to our most sacred precept: {that a} struggle of aggression and territorial conquest isn’t, ever acceptable,” she mentioned. “As we speak it is Ukraine, however tomorrow it could possibly be one other nation, one other small nation that’s invaded by its bigger neighbor,” she added.

In direct remarks to Lavrov, Thomas-Greenfield reiterated requires the fast launch of Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, whose sister attended the assembly.

“I need minister Lavrov to look into her eyes and see her struggling. I need you to see what it is wish to miss your brother for 4 years. To know he’s locked up, in a Russian penal colony, merely since you wish to use him on your personal ends,” Thomas-Greenfield mentioned.

U.N. Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres, who sat subsequent to Lavrov, criticized Russia’s struggle, saying it was in violation of the United Nations Constitution and worldwide regulation.

The battle, he mentioned, was “inflicting large struggling and devastation to the nation and its individuals and including to the worldwide financial dislocation triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

He warned that tensions between the world’s main powers had been at a “historic excessive.”

Guterres additionally referred to as for the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a U.N.-backed deal that established a humanitarian sea hall for Ukrainian agricultural merchandise.

The settlement has allowed for greater than 25 million metric tons of grain and foodstuff to depart from Ukrainian ports for locations world wide. Russia has beforehand mentioned that it might not renew the settlement, which has an expiration date in mid-Might.

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s struggle in Ukraine has introduced “unimaginable struggling to that nation whereas trampling on the U.N. Constitution.”

“1000’s of Ukrainians have been killed and tens of millions have been displaced,” she mentioned, including that billions of individuals world wide are feeling the brunt of upper vitality costs and meals insecurity due to the Kremlin’s ongoing battle.

She added the struggle additionally has triggered “an unmitigated catastrophe for Russia too.”

Japan’s envoy additionally blasted Moscow’s struggle and demanded a direct withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

“It’s an irony, even a tragedy, that the Russian Federation, a everlasting member of the U.N. Safety Council, continues its unilateral aggression in opposition to Ukraine whereas internet hosting an open debate on efficient multilateralism via the protection of the precept of the U.N. Constitution,” mentioned Ishikane Kimihiro, everlasting consultant of Japan to the United Nations.

“The unprovoked, ongoing aggression by Russia is nothing however an outright defiance of the precept of the U.N. Constitution,” he added.