Ireland has called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine, this on a day that the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the United Nations Security Council.
Ireland is currently a rotating member of the council and Ireland's Ambassador to the United Nations, Geraldine Byrne Nason ,was in the council chamber as President Zelenskyy spoke via video link.
In an address on behalf of Ireland, Ambassador Byrne Nason reiterated calls for full humanitarian access to those in need in Ukraine and she called on Russia to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
It was the very least the aggressor can do. It is way past time, she said, this according to a Twitter release from the Irish Mission to the UN.
The Mission release said that In the last 40 days Ukraine had suffered a level of destruction not seen in Europe in many years. The images from Bucha and other occupied towns were harrowing.
There can be no impunity for such crimes, Ambassador Byrne Nason said.
President Zelensky, in his address, - which came a day before he is scheduled to speak to both house of the Oireachtas - challenged the United Nations to "act immediately" or "dissolve yourself altogether" during what an RTE report described as "a blistering address" in which he showed a harrowing video of dead bodies - including children - he said were victims of Russian atrocities.
RTE reported: "Likening Russia's actions in Ukrainian cities such as Bucha to violence carried out by 'terrorists' such as the Islamic State group, Mr. Zelenskyy called on the 15-member council - which aims to ensure international peace and security - to expel Russia 'so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.'
"Russia, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, has a veto, which it has repeatedly wielded to block resolutions and negotiations on the global stage. Ireland is a non-permanent member of the council.
Said Zelensky: "If there is no alternative and no option, then the next option would be dissolve yourself altogether."
Added the RTE report: "Bearded and dressed in his now trademark military green T-shirt, Mr Zelensky gave a chilling rendition of the atrocities he said were carried out by Russian troops against civilians in Bucha, a town outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and aired the graphic video showing dead bodies, including several children."
