Return of imperialism, potential “nuclear accident”, “mock referendums”… This Tuesday, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, addressing 150 Heads of State, addressed the UN General Assembly meeting for the first time in person since the Covid-19 crisis. 19 in New York.
Emmanuel Macron denounces the return to imperialism and the age of the colonies
According to the French president, Russia has “broken our collective security”confronting the world with a choice: “That of war or peace. “On February 24, Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council, broke our collective security. It deliberately violated the Charter of the United Nations and the principle of State sovereignty,” he claimed.
“Russia has decided to pave the way for other wars of annexation, perhaps in Europe, but also perhaps tomorrow in Africa, Asia, Latin America. As I speak to you, there are Russian troops in Ukraine and to my knowledge there are no Ukrainian troops in Russia. The longer this war lasts, the more threatening it becomes for peace in Europe, but also for that of the world.imagined Emmanuel Macron before denouncing the “return to imperialism and the colonial age”. And to add: “France refuses it. Our position is clear and this is how I assume the dialogue with Russia”.
On the referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk
“We know that an agreement will only succeed if Ukraine’s sovereignty is preserved”said Emmanuel Macron, denouncing the “mock referendums” which will take place in the coming days in the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, judging that they have no “no legal existence” and will not be recognized: “It’s not about choosing a side: it’s the responsibility of all those who are committed to upholding the charter and our most precious asset, peace. »
Risks of a nuclear accident
“It is up to us to support the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency to prevent the consequences of war, as we will do tomorrow alongside the Ukrainians. Let’s work together to prevent a nuclear accident with devastating consequences”warned Emmanuel Macron, who is due to meet the director of the IAEA on Wednesday morning.
On global warming
Emmanuel Macron also mentioned global warming. “Look at Pakistan: a third of the country under water, the Horn of Africa, the worst drought in 40 years… Half of humanity lives in the climate danger zone, half of our ecosystem is reaching points of no return. The food crisis is hitting the most vulnerable everywhere and the hardest. 345 million people are in a situation of acute famine, including 153 million children. The most vulnerable are always the most affected. »
For Emmanuel Macron, phasing out coal is also one of tomorrow’s priorities: “Our first fight is the eradication of coal”he argued.
Macron calls for reform of the UN Security Council
The French president considered that the members of the Security Council “are no longer the only ones to have their say”. “And if they have it, they undoubtedly have it, it can now only work if we are able to work more broadly for the international consensus necessary for peace”, advanced Emmanuel Macron, who calls to a reform of the Security Council “so that it is more representative, that it welcomes new permanent members, that it is able to play its full role by limiting its right of veto in the event of mass crimes”. The goal: “Building peace and the contemporary international order in the service of the objectives of the charter” United Nations.