Security Council resolution 2623 (2022) [on convening an emergency special session of the General Assembly on Ukraine]
Symbol: S/RES/2623 (2022)
Date: 2022-02-27
Meeting record: S/PV.8980
Subjects: UN. General Assembly (11th emergency special sess. : 2022)|AGGRESSION|UKRAINE|RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Notes: Issued in: Resolutions and decisions of the Security Council, 2022 - S/INF/77 - (SCOR, 77th year).

United Nations                                                               S/RES/2623 (2022)
               Security Council                                              Distr.: General
                                                                             27 February 2022




               Resolution 2623 (2022)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8980th meeting, on
               27 February 2022

                    The Security Council,
                    Having considered the item on the agenda of its 8979th meeting, as contained
               in document S/Agenda/8979,
                    Taking into account that the lack of unanimity of its permanent members at the
               8979th meeting has prevented it from exercising its primary responsibility for the
               maintenance of international peace and security,
                   Decides to call an emergency special session of the General Assembly to
               examine the question contained in document S/Agenda/8979.




22-02879 (E)
*2202879*

Texto español (official Spanish version): Naciones Unidas                                                                S/RES/2623 (2022)
               Consejo de Seguridad                                           Distr. general
                                                                              27 de febrero de 2022




               Resolución 2623 (2022)
               Aprobada por el Consejo de Seguridad en su 8980 a sesión,
               celebrada el 27 de febrero de 2022

                    El Consejo de Seguridad,
                     Habiendo examinado el tema del orden del día de su 8979 a sesión, que figura en
               el documento S/Agenda/8979,
                     Teniendo en cuenta que la falta de unanimidad entre sus miembros permanentes
               en la 8979 a sesión le ha impedido ejercer su responsabilidad primordial de mantener
               la paz y la seguridad internacionales,
                   Decide convocar un período extraordinario de sesiones de emergencia de la
               Asamblea General para examinar la cuestión que figura en el docu mento
               S/Agenda/8979.




22-02879 (S)
*2202879*

Texte français (official French version): Nations Unies                                                                    S/RES/2623 (2022)
               Conseil de sécurité                                              Distr. générale
                                                                                27 février 2022




               Résolution 2623 (2022)
               Adoptée par le Conseil de sécurité à sa 8980 e séance,
               le 27 février 2022

                    Le Conseil de sécurité,
                     Ayant examiné le point inscrit à l’ordre du jour de sa 8979 e séance, paru sous la
               cote S/Agenda/8979,
                    Considérant que l’absence d’unanimité parmi ses Membres permanents lors de
               sa 8979 e séance l’a empêché d’exercer sa responsabilité principale en matière de
               maintien de la paix et de la sécurité internationales,
                    Décide de convoquer une session extraordinaire d’urgence de l’Assemblée
               générale pour examiner la question figurant dans le document publié sous la cote
               S/Agenda/8979.




22-02879 (F)    280222    010322
*2202879*

Русский текст (official Russian version): Организация Объединенных Наций                                                        S/RES/2623 (2022)
               Совет Безопасности                                      Distr.: General
                                                                       27 February 2022




               Резолюция 2623 (2022),
               принятая Советом Безопасности на его 8980-м заседании
               27 февраля 2022 года

                   Совет Безопасности,
                    рассмотрев пункт, стоящий в повестке дня его 8979-го заседания, как он
               указан в документе S/Agenda/8979,
                    принимая во внимание, что отсутствие единогласия среди его постоянных
               членов на 8979-м заседании воспрепятствовало осуществлению им своей глав-
               ной ответственности за поддержание международного мира и безопасности,
                   постановляет созвать чрезвычайную специальную сессию Генеральной
               Ассамблеи    для    рассмотрения вопроса,  содержащегося   в   доку-
               менте S/Agenda/8979.




22-02879 (R)
*2202879*

中文文本 (official Chinese version): 联合国                                              S/RES/2623 (2022)
               安全理事会                              Distr.: General
                                                  27 February 2022




               第 2623(2022)号决议

               2022 年 2 月 27 日安全理事会第 8980 次会议通过

                 安全理事会，

                 审议了 S/Agenda/8979 号文件所载的安理会第 8979 次会议议程项目，

                 考虑到安理会常任理事国在第 8979 次会议上未能达成一致意见，使安理会
               无法履行维护国际和平与安全的首要责任，

                 决定召开大会紧急特别会议，审议 S/Agenda/8979 号文件所载的问题。




22-02879 (C)
*2202879*

النص العربي (official Arabic version): ‫)‪S/RES/2623 (2022‬‬                                                                                                         ‫األمــم المتحـدة‬

‫‪Distr.: General‬‬
‫‪27 February 2022‬‬                                                                                             ‫مجلس األمن‬




                                                                                                                ‫القرار ‪)2022( 2623‬‬
                                        ‫الذي اتخذه مجلس األمن في جلسته ‪ 8980‬المعقودة في ‪ 27‬شباط‪/‬فبراير ‪2022‬‬


                                                                                                               ‫إن مجلس األمن‪،‬‬

               ‫ى النحو الواود في الوثيقـ ـ‬        ‫مـ ـ ه ا ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـتـ ـ ‪،8979‬‬   ‫ر في البنـ ــد المـ ــدول في اـ ــدته‬      ‫وقدددظ‬
                                                                                                                      ‫‪،S/Agenda/8979‬‬

              ‫ـ ـ ـ ـ ‪ 8979‬قد منع من‬          ‫وإذ يضدددددا في اهتباره ن انعدام اإلام ع بين ض ـ ـ ـ ـ م الداممين في ال‬
                                                                       ‫ن صون ال الم تاألمن الدتليين‪،‬‬              ‫مم وس م ؤتليت الرمي ي‬

               ‫يقرر الـد وة للى قـد دتوة اسـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ــتمنـ ميـ مـ ومـ ل مأيـ العـ مـ لاحـث الم ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ لـ الواودة في الوثيقـ‬
                                                                                                                      ‫‪.S/Agenda/8979‬‬




                                                                                                                                         ‫)‪22-02879 (A‬‬
                                                                                                                                 ‫*‪*2202879‬‬

Draft resolution (S/2022/160):
United Nations                                                                        S/2022/160
               Security Council                                              Distr.: General
                                                                             27 February 2022

                                                                             Original: English




               Albania and United States of America: draft resolution

                    The Security Council,
                    Having considered the item on the agenda of its 8979th meeting, as contained
               in document S/Agenda/8979,
                    Taking into account that the lack of unanimity of its permanent members at the
               8979th meeting has prevented it from exercising its primary responsibility for the
               maintenance of international peace and security,
                   Decides to call an emergency special session of the General Assembly to
               examine the question contained in document S/Agenda/8979.




22-02878 (E)     010322
*2202878*

Meeting record:
United Nations                                                                                                    S/PV.8980
             Security Council                                                                                                  Provisional
             Seventy-seventh year


             8980th meeting
             Sunday, 27 February 2022, 3 p.m.
             New York




President:   Mr. Nebenzia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        (Russian Federation)


Members:     Albania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mr. Hoxha
             Brazil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mr. Costa Filho
             China. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Zhang Jun
             France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. De Rivière
             Gabon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Ms. Koumby Missambo
             Ghana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mr. Agyeman
             India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mr. Tirumurti
             Ireland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Kelly
             Kenya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Mr. Kimani
             Mexico. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      Mr. De la Fuente Ramírez
             Norway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       Ms. Juul
             United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .               Mr. Abushahab
             United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland . .                                   Dame Barbara Woodward
             United States of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                Mrs. Thomas-Greenfield

Agenda
             Letter dated 28 February 2014 from the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to
             the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2014/136)




               This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of
               speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records
               of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They
               should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member
               of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506
               (verbatimrecords@un.org). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official
               Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org).


22-27077 (E)
*2227077*

S/PV.8980                                                Ukraine                                               27/02/2022


       The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.            Russia cannot veto our voices, Russia cannot veto the
                                                               Ukrainian people, and Russia cannot veto the Charter
Adoption of the agenda                                         of the United Nations. Russia cannot and will not
                                                               veto accountability.
       The agenda was adopted.
                                                                    Now, the Security Council has taken an important
Letter dated 28 February 2014 from the Permanent               step forward towards that accountability. For the
Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations                first time in decades, it has called for an emergency
addressed to the President of the Security Council             special session of the General Assembly. The Council
(S/2014/136)                                                   members who supported resolution 2623 (2022)
                                                               recognize that this is no ordinary moment. We need
    The President (spoke in Russian): In accordance
                                                               to take extraordinary actions to meet this threat to our
with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of
                                                               international system and do everything we can to help
procedure, I invite the representative of Ukraine to
                                                               Ukraine and its people.
participate in this meeting.
                                                                    Just this morning, President Putin put Russia’s
    The Security Council will now               begin    its
                                                               nuclear forces on high alert, although he is invading a
consideration of the item on its agenda.
                                                               country with no nuclear weapons and is under no threat
    Members of the Council have before them document           from NATO, a defensive alliance that will not fight in
S/2022/160, which contains the text of a draft resolution      Ukraine. This is another escalatory and unnecessary
submitted by Albania and the United States of America.         step that threatens us all. We urge Russia to tone down
                                                               its dangerous rhetoric with regard to nuclear weapons.
     The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the
draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution        These are issues that affect all Member States,
to the vote now.                                               and now in the General Assembly they can all make
                                                               their voices heard on Russia’s war of choice. We will
       A vote was taken by show of hands.
                                                               then vote on a draft resolution that will hold Russia to
In favour:                                                     account for its indefensible actions and for its violations
     Albania, Brazil, France, Gabon, Ghana, Ireland,           of the Charter.
     Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom of
                                                                   As we speak, rockets continue to rain down
     Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States
                                                               on Kyiv and across Ukraine. Tanks are tearing
     of America
                                                               through cities. Russia continues to ready even more
Against:                                                       brutal weaponry — bombs that flatten cities and
   Russian Federation                                          indiscriminately target civilians — for an unjustifiable
                                                               assault, fabricated out of lies and the rewriting of
Abstaining:
                                                               history. Russia also propagates outrageous lies about
    China, India, United Arab Emirates
                                                               Ukraine’s conduct in its own defence.
    The President (spoke in Russian): The draft
                                                                   We are alarmed by the mounting reports of
resolution received 11 votes in favour, 1 against and
                                                               civilian casualties, videos of Russian forces moving
3 abstentions. The draft resolution has been adopted as
                                                               exceptionally lethal weaponry into Ukraine and the
resolution 2623 (2022).
                                                               widespread destruction of civilian facilities like
   I now give the floor to those members of the                residences, schools and hospitals. To the Russian
Council who wish to make statements after the voting.          officers and soldiers, I say that the world is watching,
                                                               photographic and video evidence is mounting, and they
    Mrs. Thomas-Greenfield (United States of
                                                               will be held to account for their actions. We will not let
America): On Friday night, we stood together outside
                                                               atrocities slide.
this Chamber to declare that the Russian veto (see
S/PV.8979) would not stop us from holding Russia                  Those of us here safely sitting in this hallowed
accountable for invading a sovereign State — a State           Chamber have a moral responsibility to respond
that dared to be a democracy. Russia vetoed Friday’s           to Russia’s desecration of human life. That means
draft resolution (S/2022/155) but, as I have said before,      humanitarian aid like the thermal blankets that the


2/9                                                                                                             22-27077

27/02/2022                                             Ukraine                                               S/PV. 8980


United States Agency for International Development           Russia must be stopped in its attempt to break the
has already airlifted to tens of thousands of Ukrainians     international rules-based order and replace it with
in need and the recently announced $54 million in            its will.
additional humanitarian assistance that will reach
                                                                 All Member States, especially the small ones like
hundreds of thousands more. That means military
                                                             mine, which constitute the majority of United Nations
support, including the additional $350 million
                                                             Members, must remember that international law, rules
of security assistance that the United States is
                                                             and the Charter are their best friend, their best army,
shipping to Ukraine. And it means holding the sole
                                                             their best defence and their best insurance. Russia’s
aggressor — Russia — accountable for its actions.
                                                             actions undermine them. It is time to learn from past
    That will take some courage from some fellow             mistakes, not repeat and perpetuate them.
Member States, and I know that. For inspiration, I
                                                                  Russia can at any moment come back to reason,
would ask them to look to the Ukrainian people. They
                                                             stop the war, recall its invading troops and return to
have shown strength, courage and resilience in the face
                                                             talks — but they must be genuine talks for peace, not
of Russian guns, soldiers, bombs and rockets. They also
                                                             for surrender or capitulation. But that requires lucidity,
maintain the courage to sit down and talk. We welcome
                                                             courage and wisdom, not threats of an apocalypse. As
their continued willingness to participate in peace talks.
                                                             we said last Friday, this is no time to remain idle or look
     On Friday night, darkness descended on Kyiv.            away. It is time to stand up. Ukraine and Ukrainians are
Missiles attacked a sheltering city. But the next morning,   resisting. We are and will stand with Ukraine.
Ukrainians woke up to a new citizen — a baby girl born
                                                                  Mr. De Rivière (France) (spoke in French): On
to a mother in a bomb shelter. The baby’s name is Mia.
                                                             Friday (see S/PV.8979), the Russian Federation was
Photos of her tiny hand gripping her mother as they hid
                                                             alone in the Council in blocking the adoption of draft
underground have inspired the world. Let us have the
                                                             resolution S/2022/155, co-sponsored by 82 United
courage of Mia’s mother. Let us have the courage of
                                                             Nations Member States. It called for an end to the
the Ukrainian people standing bravely to defend their
                                                             aggression against Ukraine. France does not accept
democracy, way of life and futures. Let us show them
                                                             such obstruction. It therefore voted today in favour of
that they are not alone; that the world stands behind
                                                             resolution 2623 (2022), which calls for convening an
them; that the United Nations has a purpose; and that
                                                             emergency special session of the General Assembly.
the additional bravery of the protesters in Russia is
                                                             The matter remains before the Security Council. France
not in vain. Let us do everything we can to help the
                                                             will remain poised within the Council to ensure that it
people of Ukraine as they stand up for themselves, their
                                                             assumes its primary responsibility for the maintenance
sovereign country and their children.
                                                             of international peace and security.
     Mr. Hoxha (Albania): Albania voted in favour
                                                                 In this context, the President of the French Republic,
and welcomes the adoption of resolution 2623 (2022).
                                                             Emmanuel Macron, would like the Security Council to
Formally, this short text is of a purely procedural
                                                             meet as soon as tomorrow on the humanitarian situation
nature, but its significance is of historic proportions.
                                                             in Ukraine. Together with Mexico, France will submit a
Last Friday (see S/PV.8979), a veto tried to lock the
                                                             draft resolution to guarantee unhindered humanitarian
United Nations at a time when we need it most. That
                                                             access to meet the urgent needs of the people remaining
is no longer the case. The five lines of the text we have
                                                             in Ukraine.
just adopted open the big doors of the place where the
world meets — the General Assembly — to speak out                 In response to those who attempt to impose the
and condemn an unprovoked and unjustified pure act           law of the strongest, the international community must
of aggression.                                               demonstrate its unity, solidarity and adhesion to the rule
                                                             of law. France stands firmly by Ukraine and its people.
     The General Assembly emergency session is all
about condemning an unprovoked war. It is all about              Mr. Kelly (Ireland): Ireland once again strongly
upholding the Charter of the United Nations. It is           condemns the Russian Federation’s further invasion
about sending a clear and iron-clad message of what is       of Ukraine, a sovereign and independent country.
acceptable and what is not, including to the Russians        Since we last met on Friday (see S/PV.8979), the
citizens who need to listen to the world and hear it.        Russian Federation has intensified its unjustified


22-270773/9

S/PV.8980                                              Ukraine                                              27/02/2022


and unprovoked attack against Ukraine. Russia’s              highly sensitive responsibility. Consequently, Mexico
aggression is causing mounting hardship and suffering        unequivocally supports convening the eleventh
for the people of Ukraine, who have shown remarkable         emergency special session of the General Assembly. As
resilience and resolve. Ireland stands in full solidarity    the Permanent Representative of France noted, we will
with them today.                                             convene a meeting of the Security Council to consider
                                                             the overall humanitarian situation on the ground and
     The Security Council has a responsibility to act
                                                             facilitate the swift delivery of humanitarian aid to those
in the face of conflict and respond to this grave threat
                                                             most in need.
to international peace and security. We have failed
to exercise that responsibility. We were rendered                Mr. Zhang Jun (China) (spoke in Chinese): We are
powerless to do so, despite the clear will of 11 members     currently witnessing dramatic changes in the situation
of the Council, by the Russian Federation’s use of the       in Ukraine. China has on many occasions made its
veto in a flagrant attempt to excuse its own military        position clear on the issue of Ukraine, and it remains
aggression against Ukraine — a fellow Member of our          unchanged. We believe that the top priority now is for all
United Nations. The use of the anachronistic veto in         parties to exercise the necessary restraint to prevent the
such terrible and tragic circumstances is reprehensible      situation in Ukraine from deteriorating. China supports
and undermines the legitimacy of the Council in the          and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to the
eyes of the watching world.                                  peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and welcomes
     However, the veto will not prevent the international    direct dialogue and negotiations between Russia and
community from responding to Russia’s blatant                Ukraine as soon as possible.
breaches of international law, nor will it deter us from          At the same time, China supports discussions on
holding Russia accountable for its actions. Ireland          an equal footing between the European Union and
voted in favour of resolution 2623 (2022) to convene         Russia on European security issues and upholding the
an emergency special session of the General Assembly.        principle of indivisible security to eventually establish
Ireland calls on our fellow members of the General           a balanced, effective and sustainable European security
Assembly to step up where the Council has failed,            mechanism. China believes that the Security Council
to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United        should give priority to regional peace and stability
Nations, to condemn aggression and to support a return       and the universal security of all countries, and play
to the path of diplomacy and peace. That is the very         a constructive role in resolving the Ukraine issue.
least that the people of Ukraine deserve from us in their    Actions taken by the United Nations should help calm
hour of need. We cannot let them down.                       the situation and facilitate diplomatic solutions to avoid
    Mr. De la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico) (spoke in              an escalation of tensions.
Spanish): On Friday, 25 February (see S/PV.8979), as a           Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom):
result of the exercise of the veto, the Security Council     The United Kingdom welcomes the result of the voting
was unable to fulfil its primary responsibility for the      on resolution 2623 (2022) today.
maintenance of international peace and security, as it
was unable to adopt draft resolution S/2022/155, on the           By voting in favour of convening an emergency
situation in Ukraine, despite the fact that 11 members       special session of the General Assembly on Ukraine
voted in favour of it.                                       tomorrow, the members of the Security Council have
                                                             laid bare Russia’s diplomatic impotence. Russia again
     In response to the paralysis of the Security Council,
                                                             was isolated in opposing the resolution, but Russia
today we have invoked General Assembly resolution
                                                             cannot stop the world from coming together to condemn
377 (V), entitled “Uniting for peace”, to convene an
                                                             its invasion of Ukraine.
emergency special session of the General Assembly
with the urgency that the situation warrants. Since 1945,        As each day passes in this unprovoked and
Mexico has maintained its unwavering position against        unjustified war, support for the people of Ukraine, their
the exercise of the veto by the permanent members of         plight and their fight for freedom grows. We therefore
the Security Council. As we have repeatedly stated and       urge all Members of the United Nations to use their
reiterate today, that power should not be a privilege.       voice tomorrow to call for the immediate withdrawal of
In every situation, it constitutes an enormous and           Russian forces from Ukraine and end this war.


4/9                                                                                                          22-27077

27/02/2022                                               Ukraine                                              S/PV. 8980


     Mr. Tirumurti (India): It is regrettable that the        recommendations to Members for collective measures.
situation in Ukraine has worsened further since the           Russia will be held accountable.
Security Council last convened on this matter (see
                                                                   The civilian population, including children, is
S/PV.8979). We reiterate our call for an immediate
                                                              suffering the consequences of this horrifying conflict:
cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities. There
                                                              killings, displacement and disappearances; fighting
is no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy
                                                              in and around urban areas; the use of heavy explosive
and dialogue.
                                                              weapons; and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
    Our Prime Minister has advocated this strongly            We remain deeply concerned about the protracted harm
in his recent conversations with the leadership of the        to the civilian population.
Russian Federation and Ukraine. In this regard, we                Norway is on the side of the Ukrainian people and
welcome today’s announcement by both sides that they          its Government. We are providing further assistance
will hold talks at the Belarus border.                        to Ukraine. The Norwegian Government has today
     The global order is anchored on international law,       decided to provide $226 million in humanitarian
the Charter of the United Nations and respect for the         assistance to Ukraine.
territorial integrity and sovereignty of all States. We            Let me conclude by reiterating that Norway insists
are all agreed on these principles.                           that the Russian Federation immediately, completely
     We continue to be deeply concerned about the             and unconditionally stop all fighting and withdraw all
safety and security of Indian nationals, including a          its forces from the territory of Ukraine.
large number of Indian students who are still stranded            Mr. Costa Filho (Brazil): Last Friday (see
in Ukraine. Our evacuation efforts have been adversely        S/PV.8979), my delegation laid out before the Security
impacted by the complex and uncertain situation at            Council a comprehensive view of its concerns regarding
the border crossings. It is important to maintain an          the security developments in and around Ukraine.
uninterrupted and predictable movement of people.             Nothing in the intervening period has allayed those
It is an urgent humanitarian necessity that must be           concerns. On the contrary, in fact, as we speak the
immediately addressed.                                        number of casualties, the human suffering and the risks
    Taking into consideration the             totality   of   to international peace and security keep increasing
circumstances, we decided to abstain.                         by the hour. Indeed, the Office of the United Nations
                                                              High Commissioner for Refugees recently indicated the
    Ms. Juul (Norway): Norway voted in favour of              number of refugees to already be 422,000.
resolution 2623 (2022).
                                                                  We voted in favour of resolution 2623 (2022) before
     Just two days ago, in this Chamber (see S/PV.8979),      the Council, despite misgivings about its timing and its
we all saw that Russia was isolated and had no support        contribution to achieving peace. These misgivings arise
for its attack on Ukraine. Russia’s action is unacceptable.   ultimately from our unyielding commitment to respect
Russia is wrong. Russia is the aggressor that violates        for and interest in upholding the Charter of the United
the very core principles of international law that the        Nations and the role of the security Council.
United Nations stands for.
                                                                   The urgency of the situation has convinced us of
     On Friday, the Security Council failed to uphold         the need to add the voice of the General Assembly to
its primary responsibility for the maintenance of             that of the Security Council in seeking solutions to the
international peace and security. The Council’s               crisis in and around Ukraine. This in no way detracts
response to the breach of the peace and the act of            from our firm belief that the Council, with its primary
aggression failed because of the veto by the aggressor        responsibility for the maintenance of international peace
itself. Preventing such acts is a direct responsibility of    and security, has not yet exhausted the instruments and
the Security Council. Therefore, it was necessary to          mechanisms at its disposal to contribute to a negotiated
reconvene today to decide to call an emergency special        and diplomatic solution towards peace.
session of the General Assembly on this issue.
                                                                  Therefore, we reiterate our call for an immediate
   Now, we will take this matter to the General               cessation of hostilities, for full respect for humanitarian
Assembly for the purpose of making appropriate                law and for a renewed attempt within the Security


22-270775/9

S/PV.8980                                              Ukraine                                              27/02/2022


Council to promote and support the process of dialogue       de-escalation. We call on the parties to the conflict to
between the parties involved — a role that the Council is    refrain from any use or threat of use of weapons that
inherently better equipped to play — to bring a peaceful     may have indiscriminate effects.
solution to the Ukrainian conflict. The Security Council
                                                                 Lastly, Gabon continues to call for an immediate
and the General Assembly must work together.
                                                             ceasefire and the resumption of open sincere dialogue.
     As we renew our calls for an immediate ceasefire,       There is still time — there is always time — to choose
we also appeal to Ukraine and Russia to facilitate           dialogue and diplomacy over force.
the withdrawal of all persons who want to leave the
                                                                 Mr. Abushahab (United Arab Emirates): The
Ukrainian territory. Brazil already wishes to express
                                                             United Arab Emirates regrets the fact that the situation
its gratitude to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova,
Romania and others that are facilitating the exit of         in Ukraine has worsened since our last meeting (see
people fleeing the conflict, in particular Brazilians and    S/PV.8979) and reiterates its call for a cessation of
Latin Americans.                                             hostilities. We remain steadfast in our belief that
                                                             dialogue and diplomacy should be the only path to
     Let us be exceedingly cautious in moving forward        resolving differences. We therefore welcome today’s
in the General Assembly. The supply of weapons,              news that talks may commence tomorrow morning
the recourse to cyberattacks and the application of          on the Ukraine-Belarus border. That is urgent and
selective sanctions, which could affect sectors such         much needed.
as fertilizers and wheat, with a strong risk of famine,
entail the risk of exacerbating the conflict and not of           We will work tirelessly to support efforts towards
resolving it. We cannot be oblivious to the fact that        a peaceful resolution. As we conveyed on Friday, the
these measures enhance the risks of wider and direct         developments in Ukraine undermine regional and
confrontation between NATO and Russia. It is our duty,       international peace and security. The United Arab
both in the Security Council and the General Assembly,       Emirates reiterates that the protection of civilians in
to stop and reverse this escalation. We need to engage in    Ukraine is of the utmost importance, particularly as
serious negotiations, in good faith, that could allow the    the security situation escalates. Civilians trying to
restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, security     reach safety must be able to leave unhindered. It is of
guarantees for Ukraine and Russia, and strategic             paramount importance that the necessary humanitarian
stability in Europe.                                         aid be delivered to those in need. Space for humanitarian
                                                             assistance must be preserved so that humanitarian
    Ms. Koumby Missambo (Gabon) (spoke in                    actors can maintain access to civilians.
French): The Council meets today, Sunday, in an
attempt to echo the unequivocal messages of the                   We emphasize the importance of upholding
international community against the war in Ukraine.          international humanitarian law and mitigating the
As we stated in the Council just two days ago (see           impact of the conflict on the most vulnerable. We
S/PV.8979), we reiterate our ongoing commitment to           reiterate once again the absolute need to uphold the
the founding principles of the Charter of the United         principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in
Nations, which must be respected by each of its Member       particular respect for the sovereignty, independence
States. We also have faith in international solidarity       and territorial integrity of all Member States.
and multilateralism.                                              Mr. Agyeman (Ghana): Let me begin by
    It is those values that give our Charter and             acknowledging the dangerous moments in which we
Organization their full relevance and integrity, and         live and noting the necessity for diplomacy to triumph
the reason we voted in favour of holding an emergency        over war. I therefore urge that, even at this difficult
special session of the General Assembly on Ukraine.          moment, and as diplomatic representatives of our
Today, our thoughts are with the innocent people             States, we maintain the commitment of our States to
suffering the horrors of a war that they neither chose nor   dialogue and the objectives of peace.
provoked and the thousands of civilians fleeing their
                                                                 Last Friday, because of the exercise of the veto
homes, towns and country to seek refuge elsewhere.
                                                             (see S/PV.8979), the Council was unable to assume its
   My country is deeply concerned about the attacks          primary responsibility to act on a threat to international
on civilians and civilian public goods and calls for         peace and security following the Russian Federation’s


6/9                                                                                                          22-27077

27/02/2022                                               Ukraine                                                S/PV. 8980


aggression against Ukraine. It is time for the General         of the attempts of our Western partners to avoid that,
Assembly to assume its residual responsibility and to          including when they disregard our legitimate concerns
pronounce itself on the matter. It is for that reason that     about NATO policy and violations by Western States
Ghana voted in favour of resolution 2623 (2022), just          of the core principles of the Organization for Security
adopted. As we consider the resolution we have just            and Cooperation in Europe on the principle of the
adopted, it is important that we do so with sobriety, not      indivisibility of security.
only for this generation, but also for those whose blood
and trust speak to us from the restless graves of those             We now need to focus on resolving the situation
who died in the two World Wars.                                that led to the current crisis. It did not start when Russia
                                                               launched a special military operation in Ukraine. It
     As a condition for becoming a Member of the               started much earlier, when for eight years the Council
United Nations, we all declared that we would fulfil           turned a blind eye to crimes perpetrated by Ukrainian
our obligations under the Charter of the United Nations        nationalists in Donbas. Today once again, no mention
in averment of our peace-loving nature. Today, the             was made of the suffering of the people of Donbas.
peace we say we love is threatened. Ghana therefore
                                                               The images of homes in Donbas that were destroyed
calls on all Member States to participate in the
                                                               by nationalists and Ukraine’s armed forces have been
emergency special session of the General Assembly
                                                               brazenly presented by Western media outlets as a
in a constructive manner and to unite around the call
                                                               consequence of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
for peace to stop this unjustified war that has already
                                                               At today’s meeting, we are once again hearing lies and
caused the needless loss of many lives.
                                                               false information about the indiscriminate bombing of
     The President (spoke in Russian): I shall now make        Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools.
a statement in my capacity as the representative of the
Russian Federation.                                                 The Russian military poses no threat to Ukraine’s
                                                               peaceful citizens. The military does not fire at peaceful
     Russia voted against resolution 2623 (2022) because       civilian infrastructure. However, Ukrainian nationalists
its authors proposed that it be placed on record that          pose a threat as they hold the people of Ukraine hostage
the Security Council is unable to uphold its primary           and use them as human shields. There is ample evidence
responsibility for maintaining international peace and         from ordinary Ukrainians proving that, despite public
security. There is no hint in the text of any attempt to       protests, nationalists are deploying heavy equipment
find a constructive solution in the Council. Two days          and multiple rocket launchers in residential areas. That
ago (see S/PV.8979), we vetoed another draft resolution
                                                               is an egregious violation of international humanitarian
(S/2022/155) for the same reason — it was one-sided
                                                               law that needs to be duly condemned. Essentially, those
and unbalanced. There are no new initiatives either.
                                                               are the same tactics being used by Islamic State in Iraq
    The United Nations and the Security Council                and the Levant terrorists.
were created in a post-war period to save succeeding
                                                                    All responsibility for the potential repercussions
generations from the scourge of a new war. To that end,
                                                               lies in the hands of the Maidan regime. The residents
global Powers decided to negotiate among themselves,
ideally to achieve consensus. In any event, the objective      of Ukraine are also under threat from the ongoing
was never to attempt to impose decisions on each               activities of radicals, who are giving power to all those
other or to disregard the interests of any of the five         who want it, including prisoners escaped from jail, and
permanent members. That is precisely why the Security          giving weapons to marauders, thieves and criminals.
Council grants its permanent members the right to veto         There has been sufficient evidence of that on social
decisions. It is not a privilege but a tool for ensuring the   networks from the residents of Kyiv and other cities,
balance of interests, which is of paramount importance         demonstrating the reckless attitude of the Ukrainian
to the entire world. The balance of interests ensures          authorities towards their own citizens.
global stability. Any attempt to circumvent or disregard            An information war has now been unleashed against
the position of the Russian Federation undermines the          the Russian Federation on social networks. Insofar as
bedrock of the Charter of the United Nations.
                                                               evidence of the destruction of civilian infrastructure
    What we need is not to ram through such schemes,           by the Russian military does not exist, Ukrainian
but instead attempt to find common ground, regardless          strikes and accidental strikes and videos from Donbas


22-270777/9

S/PV.8980                                                 Ukraine                                              27/02/2022


are being portrayed as such, whereas they are actually              Now, most instances of fighting are occurring
being carried out by Ukrainian nationalists.                    around the Ukrainian capital, as well as in the northeast in the cities of Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv and
    Furthermore, social networks have a host of
                                                                in the southern cities of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and
educational manuals on how to create fakes to depict
                                                                Mariupol. Long-range operational and tactical aircraft,
Russian military operations and other fabrications.
                                                                high-precision long-range weapons and multiple
There are 1.2 million such fakes currently circulating
                                                                rocket launcher systems are being widely used against
on social networks. We urge our colleagues not to
                                                                the Ukrainians.
aid and abet the proliferation of such disinformation,
although I fear that, once again, our call will fall upon           Among the most telling recent examples of the
deaf ears.                                                      Russian course of action in Ukraine was a missile strike
                                                                on the town of Vasylkiv, which is practically a suburb
       I resume my functions as President of the Council.       of the capital. A missile hit the oil depot, causing a
       I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.   large-scale fire. There was also shelling in Kharkiv that
                                                                damaged the gas pipeline.
    Mr. Kyslytsya (Ukraine): I would like to express
my gratitude to those Council members that have                      According to the Ukrainian Minister for Health,
supported the request to call for an emergency special          Mr. Viktor Lyashko, at least 16 children have been
session of the General Assembly.                                killed since 24 February, when the large-scale
                                                                military aggression against Ukraine was launched. On
     I immediately express my regret that, once again,          26 February, a 7-year-old girl died after having been
rule 20 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure         seriously wounded during the shelling of a kindergarten
has not been properly applied by the presidency.                in the city of Okhtyrka. On the same day, due to the
However, I express my relief that this rape of the              shelling and gunshots, a child was killed and two more
institution of the presidency of the Security Council           wounded at the Okhmadet Children’s Hospital, in Kyiv.
will be over in less than 48 hours.                             Due to the threat of air raids, maternity hospitals in a
     To those who appear to see no reason to support the        number of Ukrainian cities — including Kiev, Kharkiv,
request to hold the emergency session — despite the             Sumy, Irpin and Bucha, to name just a few — cannot
letter I sent to all members yesterday — as well as the         operate normally. Ukrainian children are being born in
representative of the aggressor, I would like to address        bomb shelters.
the following.                                                       According to the Ministry of Education of Ukraine,
    Do they know what the most common warning is                as of now more than 350,000 schoolchildren have no
now in most Ukrainian cities? “Attention: air raids.            access to education. Thirty-three schools with over
Please proceed to the shelters.” I recommend that they          5,500 students are closed due to severe insecurity in
look at the pictures and footage of what is happening,          civil areas.
day after day, night after night.                                    Today, I have brought those appalling facts to the
     I will continue to invite all members of the Security      attention of UNICEF, asking it to respond immediately
Council to join in the catharsis — the purgation — of           to the situation, give proper qualification to the actions
this institution that will save it for the next generation.     of the Russian Federation and take all possible measures
                                                                to prevent further deaths and violence against children
     Russia persists in its aggression, despite the             in Ukraine due to the blatant Russian aggression. I sent
initial plan for a blitzkrieg, which has failed. We can         them via diplomatic note and I look forward to working
all see that. That failure prompted the bloody and              with UNICEF on the issue.
mad Russian leadership to order the heavy shelling of
                                                                    The losses of the enemy as early as 27 February have
residential areas, critical infrastructure and hazardous
                                                                amounted to nearly 4,300 personnel killed and over 200
material storage sites in retaliation for Ukrainian
                                                                taken as prisoners of war. That detailed information has
resilience and resistance. It is extremely alarming
                                                                been posted by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
that, today, the Russian President has resorted to open
nuclear blackmail. The world must take that threat                  As always, Russia denies that its soldiers have
very seriously.                                                 been taken prisoner and does not acknowledged all the


8/9                                                                                                             22-27077

27/02/2022                                              Ukraine                                             S/PV. 8980


soldiers who have been killed. In that regard, Ukraine        one of the most important international treaties drafted
has opened a hotline entitled “Come Back Alive from           in response to the horrors of the Second World War and
Ukraine” for the relatives of Russian soldiers who are        the Holocaust.
not aware of their whereabouts and cannot contact
                                                                   Russia, however, has twisted the concept of
them. The hotline was opened by the Government of
                                                              genocide and perverted the solemn treaty obligation
Ukraine and received over 100 calls from Russian
                                                              to prevent and punish genocide. It has made an
mothers during its first hour of operation.
                                                              absurd and unfounded claim of alleged genocide as a
     It is unfortunate, however, that today, pursuant to      justification and pretext for its own aggression against
the decision of the Prosecutor-General of the Russian         Ukraine, in violation of the sovereignty and human
Federation, the hotline and its dedicated website have        rights of the Ukrainian people. Ukraine’s case before
been shut down. I therefore want to take this opportunity     the International Court of Justice will establish that
to read out the telephone number for anyone in Russia         Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is based on a lie
who would like to call regarding soldiers who may have        and a gross violation of international law and must be
been killed or taken prisoner in Ukraine and enquire          stopped. As the Ukrainian people continue to bravely
about their well-being. The number is (380) 894201860.        stand against Russian aggression, Russia’s lies will
We will distribute that information after the meeting. I      be exposed and Russia’s contempt for international
hope that the Russian Government does not shut down           law will be confirmed. Ukraine will bring Russia to
the website of the United Nations now that I have read        account.
that number.                                                  (spoke in Russian)
    We condemn the fact that Belarus is deeply                     In conclusion, I wish to address the Ambassador of
engaged in the armed aggression against Ukraine.              the Russian Federation. During a previous meeting, I
Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, Belarus        spoke about children and parents who take pride in, or
has provided its territory for the Russian offensive.         are ashamed of, theactions taken by their kin. It seemed
Today, Zhytomyr Airport, in the Ukrainian city of             to me, at that point, that the Russian Ambassador
Zhytomyr, was hit by Iskander missiles launched from          took my words very personally. I am prepared to take
the territory of Belarus. That is quite an invitation for     back my words if he were to follow the example of his
the negotiations at the border of Belarus — quite a way       colleague, Oleg Anisimov, the head of the delegation of
to escalate and raise stakes by the aggressor on the eve      the Russian Federation of the Intergovernmental Panel
of negotiations.                                              on Climate Change at the closure of the session. Today,
     Ukraine has filed a case against the Russian             in response to the emotionally charged statement of the
Federation at the International Court of Justice, as          Ukrainian delegation — and it is difficult now for us to
well as a request for the Court to issue an order of          speak without emotion — he said that “those who see
provisional measures against Russia. We will distribute       what is taking place can find no justification for the
that information and very soon, if it is not already there,   attack against Ukraine.” That statement was made at
it will be available on the Court’s website. Ukraine          a closed meeting, but it was confirmed by a number of
seeks an emergency hearing and an order by the Court          participants, and subsequently by Mr. Anisimov himself.
that Russia must cease its unlawful attack on Ukraine.            There are always choices to be made in life. For
Russia will have to answer for its behaviour at the           example, one can remain a human being or one can
world court in The Hague. The Court has jurisdiction to       continue to defend evil. Everyone has a choice.
hear Ukraine’s case and to order emergency measures
                                                                 The President (spoke in Russian): There are no
on the basis of the Convention on the Prevention and
                                                              more speakers inscribed on the list of speakers.
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, also known as
the Genocide Convention. The Genocide Convention is               The meeting rose at 4.05 p.m.




22-270779/9

Voting Summary
Yes: 011 | No: 001 | Abstentions: 003 | Non-Voting: 000 | Total voting membership: 015
Y ALBANIA
Y BRAZIL
A CHINA
Y FRANCE
Y GABON
Y GHANA
A INDIA
Y IRELAND
Y KENYA
Y MEXICO
Y NORWAY
N RUSSIAN FEDERATION
A UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Y UNITED KINGDOM
Y UNITED STATES