President Putin’s stark nuclear threats had come before dawn US time, while leaders and delegates at the annual General Assembly slept. And as the leaders arrived, our efforts to solicit their reactions failed. The Canadian prime minister, the EU Commission president and the Turkish foreign minister were all silent. This was not the time for idle remarks. Instead, there was anticipation for how US President Biden would react to the overnight language from Moscow. His speech had a sentence or two reworked and the emphasis changed. “This war is about eliminating Ukraine’s right to exist as a state. Plain and simple. Wherever you are, whatever you believe will make your blood run cold,” he said. “If nations can pursue imperial ambitions without consequence, then we jeopardize everything this institution stands for.” On the specifics of the Russian nuclear threat: “We do not seek conflict. We do not seek a Cold War. . . . A nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:24 “Nuclear war cannot be won” Analysis: Why Putin’s escalation of war in Ukraine could give him a pretext to resort to a nuclear strike Ukrainian President Zelensky joined the room via video from Kyiv. He demanded “just punishment” of Russia for a “crime committed against the values that make you and me a community of the United Nations.” “There is only one entity among all UN member states who would say now, if they could interrupt my speech, that they are happy with the war, with their war,” Zelensky said. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 25:46 Zelensky: “We did not cause this war” Liz Truss’ speech came late in the day – nothing more than a quirk of the UN schedule. Prime Minister for less than three weeks and already he is on the world stage. What a baptism of fire. It was a moment for her to make her mark, and in a room like the UN, impact is so often about more than words, but delivery. “This morning we saw Putin desperately trying to justify his disastrous failures.” he said. “He’s doubling down by sending even more reservists to a terrible fate. He’s desperately trying to claim the mantle of democracy for a regime with no human rights or freedoms. And he’s making even more false claims and terrifying threats.” She is not the orator her predecessor was. Administering a forum like the UN Hall is not easy. Earlier, she had her first one-on-one meeting with President Biden. Ukraine was of course the focus there as well, and of course there was a united front. But from the four minutes or so of the encounter that the cameras allowed, the body language appeared stiff. The UK and America are two nations with a special relationship – yes, but as leaders, Joe Biden and Liz Truss have very different politics and no obvious connection. The next focus is here later today – a UN Security Council meeting of foreign ministers, where – like the other permanent members – Russia has a veto. Watch a clash of words: Russia’s Sergei Lavrov versus America’s Tony Blinken and Britain’s new foreign secretary, James Cleverley.
