The Presidents of the Baltic states and Mr. Guterres discussed the role of the UN in dealing with the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Gitanas Nausėda thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in the negotiations on the unblocking of Ukraine’s grain exports and in the efforts to achieve security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
“Russia’s war in Ukraine has led to painful humanitarian consequences, and to the risk of a global food crisis and nuclear tragedy. The Russian army is committing brutal war crimes, mercilessly killing civilians, and destroying infrastructure. We must ensure that war criminals are brought to justice and that the Kremlin’s arbitrary actions in Ukraine are stopped. The role of the United Nations in this process is crucial,” the President pointed out.
President Gitanas Nausėda stressed that the priority of the international community should now be the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of the plant. The President pointed out that the long-term involvement of the UN in ensuring the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia NPP could be one of the ways to stabilize the situation.
The Baltic leaders and Mr. Guterres also addressed the humanitarian situation in war-torn Ukraine. Gitanas Nausėda underlined that the neighboring countries, including Lithuania, received the largest influx of war refugees. At the same time, Russia’s mass forcible abduction of Ukrainian children and their deportation to Russia with the aim of destroying their national identity requires special attention from the UN.
