President Alexander Stubb on Wednesday denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine and violation of international law by Israel in Palestine.
“Russia has no right to continue its aggression against Ukraine. Israel has no right to violate international law in Palestine,” the President said while addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He also said that states have no right to use Sudanese or Congolese territories to fight proxy wars for their economic or strategic self-interest.
Pointing out the situation in Ukraine, he said that recently, there has been a serious attempt at a diplomatic solution of the war on the initiative of the United States but there are no perfect solutions to wars.
He also said that any decision made in these matters will have far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and beyond.
“For me as a Finn, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine not only reminds me of our past, but is directly linked to the security of the part of the world where I live,” said Stubb.
The President also said that in the Middle East, civilians in Gaza are experiencing immense suffering.
“The deepening humanitarian crisis has reached unbearable levels and represents a failure of the international system. At the same time, Hamas continues to hold the hostages it has taken and many have already lost their lives,” said Stubb, adding that an immediate ceasefire is needed in Gaza.
He also said that humanitarian aid must be granted safe and unhindered access and the hostages must be released.
“I commend the efforts led by France and Saudi Arabia to advance the two-state solution,” he said, adding that the negotiations must meet the Israeli and Palestinian security needs and Palestinian right to self-determination, its legitimate aspiration for statehood and sovereignty.
He said that the occupation that began in 1967 must end, and all permanent status issues must be resolved and correspondingly, the countries that have not recognised Israel must do so.
“At the same time, the international community must support and strengthen the Palestinian Authority for it to govern the entire Palestinian territory effectively. This is the only viable option for achieving a two-state solution. A stable Palestine will also significantly benefit the security of Israel,” Stubb added.
He said that in many other parts of the world, conflicts are raging – causing immense suffering locally, instability regionally and reverberations globally.
“We have witnessed particularly brutal violence in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, and Mali, among others. Civilian populations continue to face famine and displacement at a large scale,” he said.
He also said that although the post-Cold War order is over, it is still unknown what the new order will look like and it will take at least five to ten years for things to settle.
- Stubb
- Censures
- Russia
- Israel
- UNGA
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi