Wassili Nebensya opened the 9115th session of the UN Security Council on Wednesday in New York with a classic Nebensya. The Russian representative is a great twister of facts and words. He never ceases to amaze his colleagues when he explains to them that Ukraine is a country of criminals who can only blame themselves for Russia carrying out a “special military operation” there. At the beginning of the session, the question arose as to whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy should be connected via video. Nebensja said: “I stress that we have nothing against his participation. But he must be present in person.” This is not about politics, but purely about procedural issues.
It was the Albanian representative who then stated the obvious. Unfortunately, Selensky cannot appear in New York in person, explained Ferit Hoxha, because his country is currently being attacked by another state. The only thing missing from this bizarre spectacle was that Nebensja had politely asked who on earth this attacker was. Thirteen countries voted for Zelensky to be included, China abstained, and Russia voted against. A majority of nine votes is required in such cases.
The council also met on Tuesday to discuss the situation at the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia. Russian troops occupied the facility in March, but Ukrainian specialists continue to control it. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly warned that parts of Europe are at risk of a nuclear catastrophe. The situation is potentially suicidal, he said. This Wednesday he reported personally to the panel about his recent visit to Ukraine.
During his trip he kept thinking about Zaporizhia. “The warning lights are on,” he said. A solution must be found immediately. Guterres spoke for only a few minutes. His conclusion: during his visit he got the impression that there was no end in sight to the fighting. In conclusion, he congratulated Ukraine on the Independence Day, which the country is celebrating on August 24th.
Not since the Nazi era have so many lies been spread, says Russia’s ambassador
Selensky addressed this in his speech. “Today our country celebrates Independence Day and everyone can see how much the world depends on our independence,” he said. Because if you don’t stop Russia, “Russian killers will probably end up in other countries. In Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America,” he said. Russia must be held accountable “for the crime of aggression against Ukraine”.
Wassili Nebensya, on the other hand, explained that it was the “Kyiv regime” that was waging a war against Russia. Russian soldiers would be hailed as liberators in the east and south of the country. Not since the Nazi era have so many propaganda lies been spread about Russia as they are now. History will judge. And the attacks on civilian facilities? Were perpetrated by Ukraine itself, said Nebensya.
Already on Tuesday he said that it was Ukrainian troops who were shelling the power plant in Zaporizhia, some with American weapons. The goal is to cause an accident and blame it on Russia. Western diplomats, he said, are living in a “parallel reality” if they really believe Russia is shelling a nuclear power plant that its troops already control.
The dramaturgy of these meetings in the Security Council has been more or less the same for the past six months. At the beginning, Nebensia blamed Ukraine and the West. Then the other 14 member states respond, with the USA usually being the sharpest in tone. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Wednesday: “Russia’s goal is clear. They want to destroy Ukraine.” The international community will never accept the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory. Her deputy Richard Mills said on Tuesday: “Russia alone created this situation and only Russia alone can defuse it.” He called for an immediate demilitarization of the area around Zaporizhia.
China, on the other hand, tends to emphasize that all sides need to talk to each other and that diplomacy is important. Beijing and Moscow decided at the beginning of the year to work much more closely together. India had recently become a little clearer, but also prefers to emphasize the importance of dialogue. The country is getting cheap oil from Russia right now, the magazine forbes According to reports, Indian imports from Russia have tripled since the start of the war.
When all 15 members have spoken, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN, Sergei Kyslytsya, will appear. This procedure is due to the fact that Ukraine does not have a seat on the Security Council. The country must therefore formally request to be allowed to speak at every debate. These motions are granted without exception, including on Tuesday and Wednesday, but first the members of the council speak. Kyslytsya explained that it might be obvious to everyone that Ukraine has no interest in causing a nuclear catastrophe on its own territory by shelling a nuclear power plant.
The International Atomic Energy Agency plans to inspect the Zaporizhia plant
Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s highest envoy for political and peacekeeping affairs, spoke on both Tuesday and Wednesday. She demanded that Russia immediately allow representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to the facility. Its boss, Rafael Grossi, has been demanding access to the plant in Zaporizhia since June and said it could be organized in a few days.
Nebensya has often said in the Council that it is absolutely in Russia’s interest to have the plant inspected by the IAEA. However, he says, a visit should only take place if the safety of the inspection team can be guaranteed. Unfortunately, that is not possible at the moment, since it is Ukraine that is shooting at Zaporizhia. Another classic side sya.