Overview

• Opening the high-level debate of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, the UN chief referenced continuing violence in Ukraine without explicitly identifying Russia as the aggressor.
• He said the ongoing attacks are killing civilians, destroying civilian infrastructure, and threatening global peace and security.
• He voiced appreciation for recent diplomatic efforts by the United States and other countries and called for a just, lasting peace aligned with the UN Charter and international law.
• He portrayed the United Nations as a moral compass and asserted the organization is more important than ever, emphasizing its unique legitimacy.
• Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is attending the session, where roughly 150 heads of state and government are expected to speak under the theme “Together Better: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”