Gitanas Nauseda, the president of Lithuania, speaks on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. Video: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday emphasized that world leaders need to act faster early in conflicts to hold the aggressors accountable.
"We have to make the decisions much faster, but not only to take the decisions but also to implement those decisions,” Nauseda told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda in New York, referring to a resolution for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He stressed that economic and financial “injections” are key policy decisions for leaders - in addition to “military assistance.”
“I think this is very important especially in this critical stage of the war because [of] how decisive it will be right now,” Nauseda said, adding such decisions will affect the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
The head of state emphasized that conflict in Europe impacts the security situation in the Middle East.
"If the aggressor is to be unpunished and remains unpunished, then it is very - it has very negative implications on the behavior of other aggressors,” Nauseda said.
This year’s UNGA comes as conflicts rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other countries, and amid intensifying hostilities and clashes between Israel and Lebanon - sparking fears of an all-out war.
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine escalated in 2022. Lithuania has been a steadfast partner of Ukraine.
If conflict does not stop in the initial stage, Nauseda added, "we just contribute to the duplication or the multiplication of the crisis of other regions of the world."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted that peace is on the horizon during his trip for the UN annual summit. He is additionally meeting US leaders, including those from the administration of US President Joe Biden.
"I think that we are closer to peace than we think," Zelensky said on US broadcaster ABC News on Tuesday.
The theme for this year’s week-long UNGA is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations,” according to the UN.
"We have to make the decisions much faster, but not only to take the decisions but also to implement those decisions,” Nauseda told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda in New York, referring to a resolution for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He stressed that economic and financial “injections” are key policy decisions for leaders - in addition to “military assistance.”
“I think this is very important especially in this critical stage of the war because [of] how decisive it will be right now,” Nauseda said, adding such decisions will affect the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
The head of state emphasized that conflict in Europe impacts the security situation in the Middle East.
"If the aggressor is to be unpunished and remains unpunished, then it is very - it has very negative implications on the behavior of other aggressors,” Nauseda said.
This year’s UNGA comes as conflicts rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other countries, and amid intensifying hostilities and clashes between Israel and Lebanon - sparking fears of an all-out war.
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine escalated in 2022. Lithuania has been a steadfast partner of Ukraine.
If conflict does not stop in the initial stage, Nauseda added, "we just contribute to the duplication or the multiplication of the crisis of other regions of the world."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hinted that peace is on the horizon during his trip for the UN annual summit. He is additionally meeting US leaders, including those from the administration of US President Joe Biden.
"I think that we are closer to peace than we think," Zelensky said on US broadcaster ABC News on Tuesday.
The theme for this year’s week-long UNGA is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations,” according to the UN.
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