Harris to Zelenskyy: USA shares your vision of ending this war, ending suffering of Ukrainian people
The international community cannot accept an unprovoked attack by one country on another, as Russia did, as this will become an impetus for other aggressors and lead to a potential war of aggression and chaos, rather than order and stability, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said.
"Russia's aggression is not only an attack on the lives and the freedom of the people of Ukraine, it is not only an attack on global food security and energy supplies. Russia's aggression is also an attack on international rules and norms and the principles embodied in the U.N. Charter," she said at the first plenary session of the Global Peace Summit.
Harris noted that Russia, despite the fact that it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has shamelessly violated the basic principles of this charter for almost two and a half years. "If the world fails to respond when an aggressor invades its neighbor, other aggressors will undoubtedly become emboldened," she said.
"It leads to the potential of a war of conquest and chaos, not order and stability, which threatens all nations. President Joe Biden and I will continue to support Ukraine and continue to impose costs on Russia. And we will continue to work toward a just and lasting peace, based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the will of the people of Ukraine," Harris said.
Addressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Harris said: "The United States shares your vision for the end of this war and an end to the suffering of the Ukrainian people. And let us all then commit to the imperative of returning innocent children kidnapped by Russia — returning them to their homes. Let us also agree, a practical benefit of the work of this peace summit is to increase global food and energy security. And let nothing about the end of this war be decided without Ukraine."
At the same time, Harris recalled Vladimir Putin's latest statement. "He is not calling for negotiations, he is calling for surrender. America stands with Ukraine not out of charity but because it is in our strategic interest."
She also noted that the United States supports delegations from more than 90 countries that are also strategically interested in a just peace in Ukraine. "Among us, no doubt, exists a diverse range of views on many of the global challenges and opportunities we face. We don't always agree. However, regarding Putin's unprovoked, unjustified war against Ukraine, there is unity and solidarity in support of international norms and rules. For President Joe Biden and me, it is one of our defining missions to uphold the international rules-based order... And no doubt, it must be a priority for us all," Harris said.