US President Joe Biden opened his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York by speaking about Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, “a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt.”
“Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase the sovereign state from the map,” Biden said.
“Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter,” he said.
Biden addressed Putin’s speech announcing an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens and making a thinly veiled nuclear threat.
“President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of a non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling up more soldiers to join the fight, and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine — an extremely significant violation of the UN charter,” Biden said.
“This world should see these outrageous acts for what they are,” he added.
US President Biden squarely pinned the blame for the global food crisis on Russia, accusing the country of “pumping out lies” about Western sanctions amid its war in Ukraine.
“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 at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“It’s Russia’s war that is worsening food insecurity, and only Russia can end it,” Biden added.
Biden lauded the UN for helping to broker a grain export deal with Ukraine and Russia, and he encouraged its extension.
Biden said as many as 193 million people around the world are experiencing acute food insecurity, “a jump of 40 million in a year.”
He also announced $2.9 billion in US support for humanitarian and food assistance.
US President Biden reiterated his stance that the US will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon as negotiations to revive a nuclear deal have failed to make significant progress in recent months.
“While the United States is prepared for a mutual return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action if Iran steps up to its obligations, the United States is clear: We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” Biden told the assembly.
CNN reported earlier this month that efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal again hit a snag.
The President also broadly called on world leaders to recommit to the nuclear nonproliferation regime through diplomacy, referencing other nuclear threats from Russia, China and North Korea.
“No matter what else is happening in the world, the United States is ready to pursue critical arms control measures. A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. The five permanent members of the security council just reaffirmed that commitment in January, but today, we’re seeing disturbing trends,” he said.
“The nonproliferation regime is one of the greatest successes of this institution. We cannot let the world now slide backwards,” he told the body. Biden also said he believes “diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome.”
US President Biden, in his closing remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, looked back to the creation of the body and called for unity.
“My fellow leaders, the challenges we face today are great indeed, but our capacity is greater. Our commitment must be greater still,” he said.
“So let’s stand together to, again, declare the unmistakable resolve that nations of the world are united still, that we stand for the values of the UN charter, that we still believe by working together we can bend the arc of history toward a freer and more just world for all our children, though none of us have fully achieved it,” he said.
“We are not passive witnesses to history. We are the authors of history. We can do this. We have to do it, for ourselves and for our future, for humankind. Thank you for your tolerance for listening to me. I appreciate it very much,” he closed his statement.
-CNN
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