(Bloomberg) — All eyes will be on US President Joe Biden today as he tries to rally international support for Ukraine following Russia’s escalation with world leaders gathered at the United Nations.
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On Tuesday, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz decried Vladimir Putin’s aggression, both accusing him of “imperialism.” On Wednesday, Putin mobilized army reserves and renewed his nuclear threats. He has not attended UN since 2015, the year he sent military aircraft into Syria.
Click here for the full schedule of speakers on Wednesday.
(All times ET)
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EXCLUSIVE NATO’s Stoltenberg Decries ‘Sham’ Referendums in Ukraine
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To catch up on the latest developments on Ukraine, click here.
Iran President to Address Assembly (8 a.m.)
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi will speak from the podium as protests roil the streets of Tehran following the death of a young woman who fell into a coma after being detained for flouting Islamic dress codes by the so-called “morality police.” State media reported six people were killed.
The biggest unrest in Iran since the November 2019 fuel protests has overshadowed Raisi’s visit and any efforts to break the latest deadlock in Tehran’s indirect talks with Washington to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. About 1000 Iranian-Americans are protesting his presence at the UN outside its headquarters.
Scholz Slams Putin for Defying Global Peace (Tuesday)
Scholz called on other countries to condemn the Russian president’s decision to invade Ukraine. “The return of imperialism is not just a disaster for Europe. This is also a disaster for our global peace order, which is the antithesis of imperialism and neo-colonialism,” Scholz said.
Putin will only give up the war when he realizes that he can’t win and he’s isolated, the chancellor added. He condemned Russia’s attempts to stage “sham referenda” in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
Scholz added the Security Council must be reformed to better reflect the rise of developing countries. He has been asking member states to support Germany’s candidacy.
The chancellor denounced China for its human right record. “A few weeks ago, the former High Commissioner for Human Rights presented us with her report on the situation of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang,” Scholz said, adding the Chinese government should implement those recommendations.
UN Report Accuses China of ‘Serious’ Rights Abuses in Xinjiang
Japan PM Says UN’s Credibility at Stake (earlier)
Kishida said the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a member of the UN Security Council, puts the credibility of the United Nations at stake. In a speech to the General Assembly, he called for an end to decades of debate on the “dysfunctionality” of the council and said a swift start should be made on reforms.
A native of Hiroshima, one of the two cities to have suffered a World War II nuclear attack by the US, he called Russia’s threats to use atomic weapons “absolutely unacceptable.”
Truss Will Make Case for ‘Economic NATO’ (earlier)
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will use her first speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to say allies should act as an “economic NATO,” in a reference to the post-World War II military alliance. She will say that it’s a mechanism needed to tackle the threat of authoritarian regimes such as Russia “who seek to weaponize the global economy.” She will also reiterate her plan to increase defense spending to 3% of UK national income by 2030.
Macron Accuses Putin of Return to ‘Imperialism’ (earlier)
The French President, an unapologetic multilateralist, once again defended his decision to keep speaking to Vladimir Putin, and urged all countries to condemn the invasion of Ukraine explicitly.
“It’s not about picking a side between the East and the West, neither between the North and the South,” he said. “It’s about the responsibility of all those who care about the respect of the Charter, and about our most precious good: Peace.”
In some of his strongest language yet, he denounced Russia’s actions as a “return to the age of imperialism and colonies,” of trying to rope in the support of countries that have lived through colonialism and are now reluctant to raise their voice against Russia.
Those who remain silent today are complicit, he said, after slamming his fist on the lectern.
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