WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is pushing to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over its invasion of Ukraine and allegations of war crimes.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will bring up the matter during a Security Council meeting later on today.
Earlier this week she was quoted as saying “Russia’s participation on the Human Rights Council is a farce.” A two-thirds majority vote in the UN General Assembly would be needed to boot Russia from the body’s Human Rights Council.
Evidence of possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine is building. Prosecutors are fanned out across the country and say they’re investigating nearly 47-hundred cases so far, including rape.
They claim Russian troops have killed and tortured people in their homes, cars, and on the streets, even burning some bodies. The top prosecutor describes the area around the capital as a “tortured region from hell” after it was recaptured from Russia’s military.
Ukraine’s president is loudly condemning alleged Russian atrocities in his battered country. Speaking virtually to the UN Security Council, Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has been targeting and killing civilians, including children. He referred to Bucha [[ boo-cha ]], where hundreds of civilians were found dead and again accused Russia of committing war crimes. Zelensky called on the UN to do its job and maintain peace.
Zelensky added, “Accountability must be inevitable.” He argued that Russia wants to turn the citizens of Ukraine into “silent slaves.” Meantime, Ukraine presented a graphic video to the UN showing numerous pictures of dead civilians. The video ended with the message, #StopRussianAggression.
The British ambassador to the UN called the images “appalling.” Barbara Woodward is currently serving as president of the Security Council.
