A Russian military truck moves along a road in Russia鈥檚 southern Rostov region, which borders the self-proclaimed Donetsk People鈥檚 Republic, on February 23, 2022. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)
United Nations,聽United States 鈥� A United Nations meeting on Ukraine Wednesday heard that a full-scale Russian invasion of the country would have a devastating global impact that would likely spark a new 鈥渞efugee crisis.鈥�
The United States said a war could displace up to five million people while Ukraine鈥檚 foreign minister said such a conflict would mark 鈥渢he end of the world order as we know it.鈥�
The dire warnings were made during an annual General Assembly session on 鈥渢emporarily occupied Ukrainian territories鈥� that has been held at UN headquarters in New York every year since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the body that 鈥渙ur world is facing a moment of peril鈥� over the crisis.
鈥淚f the conflict in Ukraine expands, the world could see a scale and severity of need unseen for many years,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t is time for restraint, reason, and de-escalation,鈥� Guterres added, stressing there was no room for actions or statements that would 鈥渢ake this dangerous situation over the abyss.鈥�
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said an invasion could displace as many as another five million people on top of the three million she said had already been impacted by Russian military action in eastern Ukraine.
鈥淚f Russia continues down this path, it could 鈥� according to our estimates 鈥� create a new refugee crisis, one of the largest facing the world today,鈥� she said.
Thomas-Greenfield added that since Ukraine is one of the world鈥檚 largest wheat suppliers to the developing world, Russian military operations 鈥渃ould cause a spike in food prices and lead to even more desperate hunger in places like Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon.鈥�
鈥淭he tidal waves of suffering this war will cause are unthinkable,鈥� she said.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba聽pleaded with the United Nations to hold Moscow accountable for what he called its attack on 鈥渢he core principles of international law.鈥�
鈥淚f Russia does not get a severe, swift, and decisive response now, this will mean a total bankruptcy of the international security system and international institutions, which are tasked with maintaining the global security order.
鈥淭his is a grim scenario, which will throw us back to the darkest times of the 20th century,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e Ukrainians want peace鈥�
Kuleba called Russian claims that it is acting to prevent planned military operations by Kyiv in the Donbas area as 鈥渁bsurd鈥� and called on Russia to withdraw troops from Ukrainian soil.
鈥淲e Ukrainians want peace and we want to resolve all issues through diplomacy,鈥� he said.
Albania and the United States are working on a formal UN Security Council resolution to condemn Russia over its actions regarding Ukraine, diplomats told AFP Wednesday.
The resolution will first go to the 15-member Council, where it is certain to fail due to Russia鈥檚 veto power.
It could then be submitted to the full UN General Assembly, where no country holds a veto, but Assembly resolutions are non-binding.
A similar scenario played out after Russia鈥檚 2014 annexation of Crimea; Moscow vetoed the Security Council resolution, but a measure was adopted by the Assembly.
At Wednesday鈥檚 General Assembly meeting, all 193 members of the UN attended, with the vast majority speaking out against Moscow.
Russia鈥檚 UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia,聽said today鈥檚 tensions were the result of the 2014 鈥渃oup鈥� that ousted pro-Russian, ex-Ukrainian prime minister Viktor Yanukovych.
He said that since then, Ukraine鈥檚 government has been carrying out a 鈥済enocide鈥� in Donbas.
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