UN allows Ukraine's Zelenskiy to address world leaders this week via video

After an interview with Reuters, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zeleskiy poses for a photo, during Russia's attack against Ukraine. This was in Kyiv (Ukraine), 16 September, 2022.

Friday's 193-member United Nations General Assembly said that it would allow Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zilenskiy to speak at the annual gathering this week using a prerecorded video.

With 101 votes in support, seven against, and 19 abstentions, the decision was approved. Russia, Syria, Eritrea Nicaragua, Nicaragua, North Korea, Eritrea and North Korea opposed the move.

The UN mission to Ukraine had claimed that Zelenskiy could not attend the General Assembly meetings because of ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Russia's deputy UN Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's deputy UN Ambassador, stated that Moscow is always in favor "in-person diplomacy" at the UN. However, he accused his Western counterparts for using double standards.

Polyanskiy stated to the General Assembly that "this is at a moment when the representatives of African nations, who often encounter similar difficulties when arriving in New York... have been denied this similar right".

Russian ally Belarus tried to amend the decision to remove any reference to Ukraine. This would allow any world leaders to address the UN gathering via audio. It was defeated with only 23 votes for and 67 against. 27 states abstained.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has allowed world leaders to submit video statements for the past two years. However, this year they will be traveling to New York to address the UN General Assembly chamber.

Nearly three quarters of the General Assembly voted in reprimand to Moscow and demanded that it withdraw its troops within a week of Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine. It again denounced Russia three weeks ago for creating a "dire" humanitarian crisis.

Ukrainian officials gave more details on Friday about what they described as a mass burial ground with hundreds of bodies, located in territory seized from Russian forces. Zelenskiy said that the discovery was proof of Russia's war crimes. Moscow denies its forces committed war crimes.