Zelensky urges UN Security Council to ‘act immediately’
Published: 04:04 PM,Apr 05,2022 | EDITED : 08:04 PM,Apr 05,2022
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WASHINGTON: Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United Nations on Tuesday to “act immediately” on President Vladimir Putin’s war of his country, calling for Russia to be expelled from the UN Security Council.
Zelensky called on the 15-member council, which aims to ensure international peace and security, to “remove Russia as an aggressor and a source of war, so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.”
“The United Nations can be simply closed. Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to close the UN? And the time of international law is gone? If your answer is no, then you need to act immediately,” he added in his video address.
Sweden on Tuesday opened an investigation into suspected war crimes in Ukraine, encouraging witnesses and victims to come forward in order so secure evidence for potential future prosecutions, prosecutors said.
“Given the information that is available about the situation in Ukraine, there is reason to believe that grave war crimes are being committed,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement, adding that preliminary investigation had been opened. The authority said that currently no individual was suspected of a crime.
“The purpose is to as early as possible secure evidence that could be available in Sweden so that it could be used in future legal proceedings, either in Sweden, another country’s court or in an international court such as the International Criminal Court, ICC.”
Last month, the ICC launched its own probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
“I have notified the ICC Presidency a few moments ago of my decision to immediately proceed with active investigations in the situation” in Ukraine, Karim Khan wrote in a statement. — AFP
Zelensky called on the 15-member council, which aims to ensure international peace and security, to “remove Russia as an aggressor and a source of war, so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.”
“The United Nations can be simply closed. Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to close the UN? And the time of international law is gone? If your answer is no, then you need to act immediately,” he added in his video address.
Sweden on Tuesday opened an investigation into suspected war crimes in Ukraine, encouraging witnesses and victims to come forward in order so secure evidence for potential future prosecutions, prosecutors said.
“Given the information that is available about the situation in Ukraine, there is reason to believe that grave war crimes are being committed,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement, adding that preliminary investigation had been opened. The authority said that currently no individual was suspected of a crime.
“The purpose is to as early as possible secure evidence that could be available in Sweden so that it could be used in future legal proceedings, either in Sweden, another country’s court or in an international court such as the International Criminal Court, ICC.”
Last month, the ICC launched its own probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
“I have notified the ICC Presidency a few moments ago of my decision to immediately proceed with active investigations in the situation” in Ukraine, Karim Khan wrote in a statement. — AFP