Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
April 24, 2023

AS DELIVERED

QUESTION: Ambassador, it’s nice to have you ever with us. I wish to ask you about considered one of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s stronger feedback that he made immediately.

FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV: As was the case within the Cold War, we’ve reached a harmful, probably much more harmful, threshold. The state of affairs has been worsened by the lack of and religion in multilateralism.

QUESTION: What do you make of that?

AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: If there’s any lack of belief in multilateralism, it’s Russia’s fault. We’re coping with some actually crucial points – a pandemic, local weather change, problems with warfare and peace. And proper at that time, Russia invades considered one of its smaller neighbors, actually simply difficult the complete basis of the UN Charter, difficult all of the values that we’ve all labored on because the founding of the United Nations.

So, if this is a matter for the Russians, they’re chargeable for creating that concern. Their hypocrisy immediately was unbelievable, the very fact of them calling for a dialogue of multilateralism after they have taken such an aggressive unilateral motion as to assault considered one of their neighbors.

QUESTION: Observers there on the UN see Lavrov’s speech as a direct provocation of the West. How do you take care of that kind of provocation?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: They didn’t simply provoke the West. They provoked the complete UN system. They provoked each single Member State. And I nonetheless suppose it’s vital for us to level out that 141 nations condemned their actions, they usually heard all 14 members of the Security Council in several methods rise up for the values of the UN Charter and condemn their actions as being actions that deliver into query their very own dedication to multilateralism, their very own dedication to the UN system.

Their unprovoked aggression towards Ukraine can’t be justified. It can’t be put in entrance of us as a protection of multilateralism. What Russia must do is pull their troops out of Ukraine and finish this warfare.

QUESTION: You accuse Russia of violating worldwide legislation by wrongfully detaining Americans. So, you referred to as for the discharge of the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and in addition ex-Marine Paul Whelan, and also you really invited his household to that session immediately. Are you making any try to talk to Sergei Lavrov about these two Americans?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: The Secretary of State has spoken to Lavrov, and I’ve spoken to my counterpart right here in New York, their Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya, and raised this at that stage. I’ve no plans to satisfy with Lavrov, however he is aware of what our place is, and he heard my assertion loudly and clearly immediately within the Council.

QUESTION: The UN Security Council is meant to stop wars just like the one we’re seeing proper now. Is it a failure of the physique that Russia has already invaded a rustic earlier than – we all know with Crimea – can invade one other, invade one other, fairly, and in addition preside over this physique?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It’s shaken the boldness of Member States within the Council, however the Council continues to perform. We’re persevering with to take care of peace and safety points throughout the globe. We can be assembly tomorrow on the state of affairs in Sudan. We have addressed the state of affairs in Libya. We met final week on the state of affairs in Yemen. So, the Council capabilities regardless of – regardless of Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine. But definitely what they’re doing has made the world take a look at the Council otherwise, and it’s actually impressed upon us how vital it’s to have a look at Security Council reform and to actually evolve the Security Council to take into consideration the problems of peace and safety that we’re going through immediately, a lot of them totally different from what we confronted nearly 80 years in the past when the UN was created.

QUESTION: What type of reform would forestall one of many everlasting members from invading one other nation?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: First and foremost, we have to make the Council extra consultant of the world. So proper now, there aren’t any African everlasting representatives on the Council, nobody from Latin America as a everlasting consultant on the Council. So, to increase the Council and make it extra consultant is likely one of the issues that we will surely look to doing.

QUESTION: You talked about Latin America. We know that Sergei Lavrov, earlier to his journey to New York, traveled by way of South and Central America, together with Cuba. Are you involved about Russia’s rising affect within the area?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Russia is making an attempt their greatest to get as many nations on their aspect as attainable. But the reality of the matter is simply 5 nations have persistently supported Russia within the resolutions that we’ve introduced earlier than the General Assembly. So, they’re in a minority neighborhood they usually’re preventing to deliver extra folks into their sphere, they usually’re failing at that effort.

QUESTION: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, thanks very a lot for becoming a member of us.

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: It’s actually been fantastic to be with you, Sumi. Thank you for having me.

By U.S. Mission Russia | 27 April, 2023 | Topics: Europe & Eurasia, Fundamental Freedoms, Human Rights, Near East & North Africa, News, Political Affairs, Press Releases, Public Affairs, U.S. & Russia, Western Hemisphere