September 21, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

US President Joe Biden told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly that Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine "should make your blood run cold."

Biden discussed how Russian President Vladimir Putin had denied Ukraine's statehood, adding that "now we see attacks on schools, railway stations, hospitals, on centers of Ukrainian history and culture."

Referencing discoveries of a mass burial site, Biden said, "This war is about extinguishing Ukraine's right to exist as a state — plain and simple — and Ukraine's right to exist as a people."

"Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe — that should make your blood run cold. That's why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia's war against Ukraine," Biden continued.

The President argued that if nations, like Russia, "can pursue their imperial ambitions without consequences, then we put at risk everything that this very institution stands for."

US President Joe Biden said during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he had "to act" and invade Ukraine "because Russia was threatened."

Biden added, "no one threatened Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict." 

Speaking directly to the leaders present at the assembly, the President continued: "In fact, we warned it was coming, and many of you tried to avert it." 

US President Joe Biden vowed to stand with Ukraine and against Russian aggression during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

"This past year the world was tested as well, and we did not hesitate. We chose liberty. We chose sovereignty. We chose principles to which every party to the United Nations charter is beholding. We stood with Ukraine," Biden said Wednesday.

Biden said that members of the UN must be united against Russia's war.

"Ukraine has the same rights that belong to every sovereign nation. We will stand in solidarity with Ukraine, we will stand in solidarity against Russia's aggression, period," Biden added.

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US President Joe Biden addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech announcing an immediate partial mobilization of Russian citizens and making a thinly veiled nuclear threat.

"President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe, and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of a non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is calling up more soldiers to join the fight, and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine — an extremely significant violation of the UN charter," Biden said.

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President Joe Biden opened his remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York by speaking about Russian president Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, "a war chosen by one man, to be very blunt."

"Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations charter," he said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "clearly afraid" after he announced partial mobilization and hinted at use of nuclear weapons.

Kallas said Estonia has seen no indication that Putin is taking steps to carry out his nuclear threats.

"We should not give in one inch. We should actually put more pressure on Russia to stop this war, because now the discontent within the Russian society is also building, because they are also feeling the war on their skin, so to say," Kallas added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement on an immediate partial mobilization comes as no surprise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told German media outlet BILD.

The announcement shows that Russia has "problems with officers and other military personnel," he said.

CNN translated BILD's report.

"He wants to drown Ukraine in blood, but also in the blood of his own soldiers," Zelensky added.

Zelensky said he had not seen Putin's speech.

It was "not my favorite video," he said, adding that the speech was "nothing new for me."

BILD said Zelensky insisted that Ukraine's plans to recover its territory would not be affected.

"We will act step by step according to our plans. I am sure we will liberate our territory," he said, according to BILD. 

He said the referendums planned by Kremlin-backed authorities later this week in occupied Ukrainian territories were a "sham" and that 90% of governments would not recognize them.

Zelesnky also told BILD that he doesn't believe Putin will use nuclear weapons despite the Russian president's thinly veiled warning earlier on Wednesday.

"I don't believe he will use them. I don't believe the world will allow him to use these weapons," he said, adding that caveat that "we cannot look into this person's head, there are risks."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday described Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would use “all the means” at its disposal in its war in Ukraine as part of a “dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric.” 

Stoltenberg also said that Putin "made a big miscalculation" on the invasion of Ukraine. 

Putin had referenced his potential use of nuclear weapons earlier on Wednesday, saying, “those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction.”

Stoltenberg said in an interview with Reuters in New York that “nuclear war should never be fought,” adding “it will have unprecedented consequences for Russia.”

He added that NATO had “increased its military presence, especially in the eastern part of the alliance, to remove any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow.”

Stoltenberg told Reuters that Putin’s Wednesday speech, in which Russia announced a partial mobilization, was “an escalation” but “not a surprise.”

Putin’s speech “demonstrates that the war is not going according to President Putin’s plans,” Stoltenberg said. 

President Biden plans to issue a "firm rebuke" of Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday in his speech at the United Nations following Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement ordering an immediate "partial mobilization" of Russian citizens.

An official said Biden will​ respond to Putin’s speech when he speaks at the United Nations General Assembly shortly.

Putin's speech was seen internally as both an escalation and sign of weakness. Coming several hours before Biden's yearly address at the UNGA, it set up a rhetorical showdown with the US leader, who had already been planning to make the war in Ukraine a centerpiece of his speech.

Biden plans to deliver “a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that we’ve seen these past several months," his national security adviser said.

What we know: The White House said it was aware that Putin could be making the announcement ahead of Biden's UN speech, and that the announcement did not require his staff to rewrite his speech. 

"The NSC had been aware of the possibility of Putin making such an announcement, so the speech did not have to be rewritten," an official said. 

"Secretary Blinken and NSA Sullivan did review the speech with the President in the morning, and certain lines were adjusted and emphasized, but the speech already fit the moment," the official said.

Update: This post has been updated to reflect that Biden is expected to respond to Putin’s speech.