President Joe Biden condemned Russia’s nuclear and other military threats before the 77th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. According to President Biden, Vladimir Putin’s recent announcement that “partial mobilization” will take place in Russia is just one of a series of outrageous acts, and the world should judge these acts accordingly. He also pointed out that Russia has already defied the core tenets of the UN Charter, especially the rule that clearly states that no country is allowed to occupy the territories of its neighbors by force.
This speech is most likely a reaction to an announcement made earlier by Vladimir Putin, in which he stated that Russia will continue its war on Ukraine. Furthermore, Putin went on to say that Russia will use all means necessary to protect themselves if Russia’s territorial integrity is threatened, raising concerns about the possible use of nuclear weapons.
However, it’s worth noting that the real meaning of “territorial integrity” could become hard to predict, as Russia is also holding referendums meant to annex some parts of Ukraine.
Regions That Could Join Russia, and the Dangers They Face
According to The Guardian, four parts of Ukraine—currently occupied by the Russian army—have stated that they will organize referendums to join the Russian Federation. These announcements from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson seem to have been planned in advance, pointing to the fact that Russia may have already decided to formally annex them. While Ukraine and the Western countries that support these claims have all said they will not participate in these future annexations, Putin is already threatening the world with nuclear weapons if Russia’s “territorial integrity” is tormented.
During the speech announcing partial mobilization, Putin emphasized that urgent steps are needed to protect Russia’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. He also stated that the Russian forces will support this ambition and the will of their fellow countrymen and women to determine their own future. The Russian President went on to blame Western countries for the war, saying that “the goal of that part of the West is to weaken, divide, and ultimately destroy” the country. “They are saying openly now that in 1991 they managed to split up the Soviet Union and now is the time to do the same to Russia, which must be divided into numerous regions,” he added.
Putin also blamed the West for making use of “nuclear blackmail”, and stated that the West encourages shelling around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Ukraine and Russia previously blamed each other for the violence around the plant. Moreover, he went on to say that the Russian Federation owns various types of weapons, and some of these weapons are more powerful than those owned by NATO countries. “In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us. This is not a bluff,” he added.
Why President Biden Is Asking Various Countries to Work for Peace
Unlike Vladimir Putin, President Biden attended the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly to promote peace. According to him, people in the US and abroad have already faced significant crises last year. “Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter—no more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force,” he stated.
Moreover, the American president condemned the fact that his Russian counterpart went as far as to make nuclear threats against EU countries—showing a clear lack of respect for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation policy. These nuclear threats, as well as the false referendums organized in some regions of Ukraine as well as the mobilization of even more Russian soldiers, are, according to President Biden, “outrageous acts”. President Biden contradicted Putin’s claim that Russia invaded Ukraine due to threats, saying that no one endangered Russia, and that no one wanted to start a war.
According to Biden, the UN was originally created to promote enduring peace and friendship among the many countries of the world, equal rights for people everywhere, and cooperation for growth. He asked world leaders to collaborate in declaring the fact that the nations of the world are still united, that they stand for the values of the UN Charter, and that they believe it is possible to build a more just world for all by simply working together.
It remains to be seen if the president’s words will turn out to be prophetic when it comes to building enduring peace now, or if there is still a troubling amount of violence ahead.
