U.S. at UN debunks Russian fakes on export of weapons in Ukraine

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Ambassador Robert Wood, Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the UN, said this in his remarks at a UN Security Council open debate on arms export violations on Monday.

"We must not pretend that the conflict in Ukraine is a matter of weapons export systems. Ukraine was invaded, and it has every right to defend itself – this is reflected in the UN Charter – and the international community has every right to continue its longstanding support to Ukraine's defense," he said.

He continued that the Government of Ukraine has committed to appropriately safeguarding and accounting for transferred defense equipment and formed a commission in 2022 to strengthen the monitoring of donated military equipment just this summer. Russia, on the other hand, has never let facts interfere with its false narratives.

"In a blatant effort to discredit Ukraine and weaken international support for Ukraine's self-defense, Russia continues to spread disinformation about diversions," Wood said.

He recalled that the Russian delegation, which presides over the UN Security Council this month, began its presidency by trying to justify kidnapping Ukrainian children. In particular, last week Russia brought to an "Arria-formula" meeting a person against whom the ICC issued an international arrest warrant.

"Today's meeting is a thinly veiled effort to portray Russia as a responsible actor on arms control, attempting to obfuscate the reality that it launched an unjustified armed invasion of its neighbor," he said.

On Monday, April 10, Russia convened a meeting of the UN Security Council on the topic of risks from the violation of agreements on the export of weapons and military equipment.