Weird to find this at Epoch....
War Is for ‘Soul of Humanity,’ Ukraine Consul General Tells Arizona Legislators
April 8, 2022
PHOENIX, Ariz.—Ukraine’s Consul General Dmytro Kushneruk addressed a joint session of the Arizona Legislature on April 7, asking for more military and humanitarian support to end the Russian invasion.
“Ukraine has defeated Russia’s objectives in the first phase of this war,” he said. “Time is of the essence,” while Ukraine “has the momentum.”
“We have the one common enemy, which is Russia,” Kushneruk said.
Kushneruk’s 17-minute address was made at the request of House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R) and was greeted by rounds of applause and standing ovations by state lawmakers.
“Compared to the horrific attacks upon the nation of Ukraine, we felt it was a distinct honor to have Dmytro Kushneruk, the consul general of Ukraine, come and speak to us,” Bowers told the legislative body.
“Since that unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion on Feb. 24, Mr. Kushneruk has been working tirelessly to support the efforts of the Ukrainian people’s independence in defense of their country, and to support refugees and victims of that conflict.”
Arizona Senate President Karen Fann said, “I hope we will all take time to appreciate how fortunate we are. We have the greatest military to protect us so we can live this way.
“The war in Ukraine is abstract since many of us have never witnessed it firsthand. We haven’t faced the terror, despair, and battles for our life that they are experiencing right now.”
‘Putin’s Terror’
Fann said Arizona’s state government will continue working “to offer as many resources as we can” against what she called “Putin’s terror,” and that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky “exemplifies” John F. Kennedy’s ideal of service to country
Biden Calls for Putin to Face War Crimes Trial as Violent Images From Ukraine’s Bucha Surface
In his opening remarks, Kushneruk said that 40 days after the Russian invasion he never expected to be standing in front of the Arizona legislature seeking help for his country.
He said the war is about his country’s right to exist.
“It has always been about Russian control over Ukraine and Ukrainians. But [Russian President Vladimir] Putin doesn’t recognize the nation-state. Ukrainians are proving the exact opposite every day,” Kushneruk said.
He said the fight is about “the right to live in a free society,” though Russia predicted the war would wrap up in two days. It is “now suffering [military] damage that will take years for them to repair.”
“Russia was forced to retreat from Kyiv region,” Kushneruk said and alluded to alleged atrocities by Russian forces withdrawing from the city of Bucha.
Kushneruk said that while many civilians were shot dead, “those who were lucky to stay alive, told tales [of] huge numbers of rapes, tortures, and mass graves. This is the crime against humanity.”
He applauded the United Nations General Assembly vote on April 7 to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council but said the move doesn’t go far enough.
“What Russia deserves is to be expelled from the United Nations Security Council,” Kushneruk said to a round of applause.
“Ukraine has a good chance to win this war” despite Russian air superiority. The “big fight,” he said, will likely take place in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces are concentrated.
Moar: https://m.theepochtimes.com/war-is-for-soul-of-humanity-ukraine-consul-general-tells-arizona-legislators_4391164.html