- The Foreign Minister is meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York today.
- James Cleverly will detail how Russian forces continue to commit atrocities across Ukraine and violate international law.
- He will also explain how Moscow plans to manipulate the results of mock referendums.
The foreign minister will meet his Russian counterpart for the first time today (September 22) at the United Nations in New York and condemn his country’s aggression in Ukraine.
At a special Foreign Minister-level Security Council meeting on Ukraine, James Cleverly will reaffirm the UK’s full and unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
At the meeting, the foreign minister will commit to working with the international community to seek justice for the victims of this conflict and to hold those responsible accountable to ensure Russia’s actions will not be tolerated.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is expected to say from the UK seat on the Security Council:
The resilience and spirit of resistance of Ukrainians in defense of their country continues to inspire all free people and nations.
But every day the devastating aftermath of the Russian invasion is becoming clearer and the evidence of Russian atrocities continues to mount…
… We can and must make it clear to President Putin that his attacks on the sovereign will of the Ukrainian people – expressed so clearly when they are fighting for their homeland – must stop. His attacks on the UN Charter and international norms that protect us will not be tolerated and that he must withdraw from Ukraine to allow a return to regional and global stability.
The foreign minister will reveal how Moscow plans to correct the results of sham referendums in its temporarily controlled areas to give false legitimacy to illegal land grabs.
Following Vladimir Putin’s presidential address this week, Cleverly will also unveil evidence of Russian tactics being used to undermine Ukrainian democracy and rob Ukrainians of their homes and identities.
Following the prime minister’s speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday, the foreign minister will highlight the importance of a Ukrainian victory and say that their fight for freedom is the world’s fight for freedom, because if Ukraine’s sovereignty and territory are not be respected, no country is safe.
Later on Thursday, the foreign minister will also attend a meeting to seek justice for Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its outrageous acts.
The meeting will be attended by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, who is leading the court’s investigation into the situation in Ukraine.
