U.S. expecting progress in Ukraine’s peace plan implementation - envoy to UN

The diplomat spoke with journalists at the UN Headquarters on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Over the past more than two years dealing with the situation in Ukraine," she said. “We have seen President Zelensky’s peace plan. We think it lays out a strategy and a plan that can work. And we need to see how we can promote that as we engage with all of the countries’ heads of state who will be here in New York. So again, we do have hope to make some progress."

According to Thomas-Greenfield, intense negotiations are underway between the representatives of the UN member states regarding the text of the Pact for the Future, which should be approved during the Future Summit, which will be held on September 22-23.

In working on the draft, difficulties arise regarding individual provisions. In particular, the Russians spoke against 15 different issues. "They don’t like, of course, any reference to sanctions," the permanent representative noted.

She said the world was dealing with "devastating effects of the climate crisis, the spike in global food insecurity, and the attacks on human rights in authoritarian countries around the world".

"There’s Russia’s illegal, brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, which is being waged in open defiance of the UN Charter," the envoy stressed. She also mentioned the "senseless civil war" in Sudan, which has led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis, the instability in Haiti, where the fight against banditry continues, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burma.

"All told, roughly 2 billion people live in conflict-affected areas. And so this UNGA will focus on our collective responsibility to end the scourge of war," added Thomas-Greenfield.

Also, the priority of the international community and the United States is to revitalize an overstretched system to support those most in need.

The United States will continue to lead on all these fronts, she noted. "But we need every other Member State – every single Member State, especially those with the most means – to do more and to give more," said the permanent representative.

Another U.S. priority is to create "a more inclusive and effective international system." Among other things, it is about the introduction of two permanent seats in the UNSC for African countries and one non-permanent one – for small island developing states.

She agreed that the right of veto laid down in the founding documents of the UN for permanent members of the Security Council is ineffective. "I acknowledge that we are not prepared to give up the veto – but countries can’t make that happen until they’re sitting in a permanent seat. So my argument to countries is don’t demand what you think is dysfunctional – demand to work within the system to figure out how to change that,” she said. At the same time, the diplomat emphasized that the right of veto, which Russia exploits in the matter of its aggression against Ukraine, is "problematic".

In the context of the attempt on ex-president Donald Trump, the permanent representative expressed confidence that the U.S. law enforcement agencies will ensure security of the heads of state and government who will arrive in New York.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the regular 79th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off in New York in September, where as part of the opening, on September 24-30, high-level debates will be held with the participation of heads of state and government.

Before that, on September 22-23, the Future Summit will be held where the Pact for the Future will be agreed.

The Ukrainian delegation headed by President Volodymyr Zelensky will take part in both events.