WATCH | Russian envoy disrupts UN's one minute of silence for Ukraine

A minute's silence for Ukrainian lives lost in one year of the war was interrupted by Russia’s ambassador to the UN as the two countries faced off during the war anniversary at the Security Council's session.

Concluding his speech in the chamber, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a minute's silence as a tribute “in memory of the victims of the aggression”.

As the UN members present in the council chamber rose in silence, Russia’s United Nations envoy Vasily Nebenzia continued to remain in his seat and appealed for the floor.

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Breaking the silence, he said, “We are getting to our feet to honour the memory of all victims of what has happened in Ukraine starting in 2014 – all of those who perished.”

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By referring to 2014 and overly emphasising the word ‘all', the envoy referred to claims of Russia that the conflict between the two nations began that year after mass protests drove out Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly president from office.

Responding to the removal of the president, Kremlin seized the Crimean Peninsula and supported the insurgency in the mostly Russian-speaking region of Donbas, which was later annexed by Russia.

Nebenzia said, “All lives are priceless, and that is why we’re rising to honour the memory of them all.” Earlier, the ambassador accused Malta, which holds the rotating presidency of the council, of giving preference to Ukraine by letting it speak first, just because it is “part of your geopolitical project”.

He further raised objections over inclusion of 14 European countries' foreign ministers on the speakers list along with European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, stating that the foreign ministers have the same EU position “and will bring no added value” to the debate.

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Responding to the issue raised, Malta’s Foreign Minister Ian Borg said that the European ministers came to New York and requested to speak because “they feel that their countries have been and are still being directly impacted by this war”.

Kuleba, speaking in the council, said that “Ukraine will resist as it has done so far, and Ukraine will win”. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is going to lose much sooner than he thinks”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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