The UN General Assembly held an emergency session to mark the Feb. 24 anniversary of the start of the war on Ukraine, with Kyiv and its supporters hoping to garner broad support for a resolution underscoring the need “to reach (a) comprehensible, just and lasting peace” in line with the UN Charter.

In his remarks to the 193-member Assembly, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the UN to support the resolution, which “will contribute to our joint efforts to bring the war to an end as well as protect the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter”.

Kuleba said that the world, by committing to safeguard the territorial integrity of Ukraine, would send a “strong and clear” message to Russia and discourage it from attacking other territories.

He said that his country has no choice but to keep fighting for its survival “as any of you would do,” adding that the current situation on the frontlines proves Russians “want war, not peace. They are on the attack all along the front line, from the Dnipro River to the Russian border”.

For those countries who have not explicitly expressed support for Ukraine, the foreign minister called on them to stop hiding behind “the mask of neutrality” and choose the side of the UN Charter and international law.

“Never in recent history has the line between good and evil been so clear. One country merely wants to live. The other wants to kill and destroy”.

That is the reason why, Kuleba said, calls to cease arms delivery to Ukraine are “badly misplaced”: “It’s perfectly legitimate to help a nation that has been attacked and is justifiably defending itself. It is an act of defense of the UN Charter act. It is an act in favor of ending the war sooner and achieving a lasting and just peace. On the contrary, it is illegal and against the Charter to give military help to the aggressor. It is an act of war escalation and prolongation of atrocities, destruction and sufferings”.