A frustrated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Tuesday offered a blistering criticism of the United Nations Security Council for its inaction on alleged “terrible war crimes” committed by Russia, calling for the body to revoke the nation’s seat or else “dissolve” itself. He expressed concerns that, given Russia is one of the council’s five permanent member nations with veto power, it could “block decisions” over its own invasion. “Where is the security that the Security Council was supposed to guarantee?” asked Zelensky, appearing before the council via video link. “Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to close the UN? Do you think the time for international order is gone?” He described atrocities committed in Ukraine by retreating Russian soldiers, saying civilians had been raped, killed, and crushed by tanks “just for their pleasure.” He warned that the notorious Bucha massacre could be “unfortunately only one example” of such cruelty. The Ukrainian leader asked the council to bring Russia to justice, halting the invasion and enacting a Nuremberg-like war crimes tribunal to punish those responsible for it.
