President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Russia will face “only punishment” for its attack on Ukraine.
In a pre-recorded video, the Ukrainian leader called for the creation of a special war tribunal and an explanation of alleged war crimes committed by Russia.
He also laid out a peace “formula” that included more military aid and punishing Russia globally.
His speech received a standing ovation from many attendees of the session.
In his opening remarks, Mr Zelenskiy accused Russia of causing “catastrophic chaos” with its “illegal war”.
He spoke on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin called up 300,000 military reservists for duty, a move that sparked unprecedented protests on the streets of Russia.
Mr Zielinski said the move showed his adversary was not serious about peace talks.
He condemned recently announced plans to hold a so-called referendum in his country’s Russian-held territories on joining Russia – a plan condemned by Western leaders at the United Nations on Tuesday.
Mr Zelenskiy said creating a special tribunal would help hold Moscow accountable for stealing territory and killing thousands of people.
He spoke on the discovery of 445 new graves in the northeastern city of Izum, which was recently retaken from Russian forces during the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Mr Zielinski detailed allegations of war crimes in the city, including against a man who is said to have been murdered.
“Why is the Russian military so obsessed with castration?” he asked.
The word “punishment” appeared about 15 times in Mr. Zielinski’s speech, and it was the first of his five non-negotiable conditions for peace.
He said Russia would have to suffer the consequences of its aggression, through further sanctions and by the United Nations stripping Moscow of its powerful role as a permanent member of the Security Council.
He also called for the protection of Ukrainian lives and respect for the country’s internationally recognized borders.
As his fourth and fifth terms, he demanded new security guarantees for Kyiv, and called on the world to unite in rejecting Moscow’s armed aggression.
Later on Wednesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief said EU countries had agreed to impose new sanctions on Russia.
Josep Borrell told reporters that the new sanctions would target Russian individuals and the country’s economic sectors.
Sporting his signature green T-shirt in his video, Mr. Zielinski thanked the 101 countries at the United Nations for allowing him to address the assembly on video rather than in person.
He criticized the seven countries, including Russia, that voted against his video, and criticized those who have remained neutral during the conflict.
Despite Mr Zelensky’s suggestion that Russia was not serious about talks, the two countries completed a major prisoner-of-war exchange on Wednesday.
215 fighters were returned to Ukraine, including 10 foreigners – while Russia received 55 soldiers and pro-Russian politician Viktor Medevich, who was facing treason charges in Ukraine.
