New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stormed the United Nations over its “failure” to respond appropriately to Russia’s “morally bankrupt” war in Ukraine†
During a peak at the Lowy Institute think tank in Australia, Ms Ardern, who opposed the UN Security Council’s veto power of five permanent members, called for a reform of the body.
Russia has taken a “morally bankrupt position” in the Security Council in the “aftermath of a morally bankrupt and illegal war,” she said.
“We need to reform the United Nations so that we are not dependent on individual countries imposing their own autonomous sanctions,” she said.
“When seeking solutions to problems, whether war or dispute, New Zealand will turn to the same institutions to act as a mediator and judge where necessary,” she said.
“If they fail, our first port of call should always be to find ways to make them stronger.”
During her speech, Ms Ardern reiterated the Pacific nation’s trust in multilateral institutions to maintain the global “rules-based order,” adding that when the system fails, the nation seeks partnerships based on “our independent foreign policy.”
“Under these circumstances, waiting for our multilateral institutions was not an option for New Zealand,” she added.
“Here, if the system fails, we look for partnerships and approaches based on the second principle of our independent foreign policy, our values.”
The prime minister called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the war crimes committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops during the four-month invasion of Ukraine.
“We must also empower the International Criminal Court to conduct full investigations and prosecutions of the war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine,” she said, adding that New Zealand could intervene in the court as a third party.
However, Ms Ardern argued against a “black and white” view of the war as a conflict between the “west versus Russia”.
“In taking every possible measure to respond to and hold Russia to account, we must remember that this is essentially Russia’s war,” she said.
“And while there are those who have shown open and direct support…who must also see consequences for their role, let’s not characterize this differently as a war of the west against Russia. Or democracy versus autocracy. It’s not.”
Amid China’s growing presence in Pacific waters, the prime minister criticized the Asian giant for failing to condemn Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
“Let us not assume that as a member of the Security Council, China has no role to play in applying pressure in response to Russia’s loss of territorial integrity,” Ms Ardern added.
“Let’s not just isolate and asstell me that it is only democracies that take this position.”