Baltic presidents, UN secgen discuss Russia's war in Ukraine

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and his Baltic counterparts have met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York to discuss the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Russia’s war in Ukraine has led to painful humanitarian consequences, and to the risk of a global food crisis and nuclear tragedy. The Russian army is committing brutal war crimes, mercilessly killing civilians, and destroying infrastructure. We must ensure that war criminals are brought to justice and that the Kremlin’s arbitrary actions in Ukraine are stopped. The role of the United Nations in this process is crucial,” the Lithuanian president was quoted as saying in a statement released by the presidential press service.

During the meeting, the president stressed that the security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory should be the international community's priority at this time.

The UN's long-term involvement in ensuring the Zaporizhzhia NPP's security could be one of the ways to stabilize the situation, Nauseda said.

The Baltic presidents met with the UN secretary general on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly on Wednesday. The meeting also touched upon the humanitarian situation in war-torn Ukraine, with the Lithuanian leader pointing out that the surrounding countries, including Lithuania, have provided refuge to the largest number of war refugees.