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The President urged the world to stand by Ukraine's victory

President of the Republic of Lithuania

September 21, 2023

On Wednesday, President Gitanas Nausėda addressed the world leaders at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

His address focused on security issues, the global and collective response to Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine, accountability for war crimes and the crime of aggression, and upholding a multilateral world order based on international law.

The President pointed out that the 78th UNGA is taking place at a critical moment when political, economic, and cultural divisions are deepening before the eyes of the world. The Lithuanian leader stressed that the disruption of the world order based on international rules threatens the entire world. The President urged the world leaders not to be mere witnesses to these events, but to take decisive action to change the situation.

"The despicable old-style colonial war is back. Russia's aggression against Ukraine aggravates the global situation across many areas, such as food and energy security, finance, climate, global health, and migration. The international community can no longer allow Russia to manipulate and abuse global rules," the President underlined.

The Head of State stressed that, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia is recklessly committing atrocities such as the wholesale destruction of Ukrainian cities and towns, ecological disasters, murder of thousands of innocent civilians and displacement of millions. The President emphasized that the international community should put more pressure on Russia to stop deliberate attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The Lithuanian leader said that in order to achieve sustainable peace, we should ensure the accountability of those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Gitanas Nausėda pointed out that, when contemplating the issue of justice, we should also address the actions of the Belarusian regime, which participates in this aggressive war by providing military support and training and facilitating the offensive from its territory.

In his speech, the Head of State emphasized that what is still lacking is a tribunal specifically dedicated to the prosecution of the crime of aggression committed by Russia's top political and military leadership. According to the President, Lithuania calls for the establishment of such an international tribunal, supported by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, and failure to do so would mean further damage to the credibility of the entire global justice system.

Addressing the audience, the Lithuanian leader focused on the consequences of the war caused by Russia, in particular on the issue of food security. According to the President, Russia's aggression against Ukraine has been a truly global issue, affecting global food security as well as nuclear safety.

"Russia is currently holding the world hostage, blocking Ukrainian grain exports, looting occupied Ukrainian territories, and devastating local agricultural infrastructure. Lifting sanctions against Russia is not even an option," Gitanas Nausėda said.

The Head of State stressed that geopolitical solutions must be found to reinforce vulnerable economies, one of which could be to open more solidarity corridors by offering alternative transportation for Ukraine's food products, for example through trusted Baltic Sea ports.

In his address, the President underscored that all these challenges create an unstable and potentially dangerous situation in Europe and the world, and that efforts must be made to rebuild trust among nations and to defend peace and justice.

"Accountability and the rules-based international order will be vital in forging a world that is fair and secure. The politics of fear and coercion on a global scale must be stopped once and for all. We must resolutely defend the equality of sovereign nations, both large and small. Together we can change the world," Gitanas Nausėda spoke.

In his address, the Head of State also focused on the fight against climate change and outlined Lithuania's steps towards becoming a climate-neutral country. President Gitanas Nausėda spoke about social welfare issues and stressed that the fight against poverty and the reduction of social inequalities must remain high on the agenda for building a sustainable global future.

The President's Communication Group