On 23 February 2023, in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. The officials exchanged views on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s accountability for starting the war in Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister stressed that support for Ukraine should continue for as long as it takes. The United Nation must assume the lead to show that norms aimed at civil protection are an ironclad commitment that is collectively respected. “Russia must be held accountable for war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine. The United Nations must assume leadership in this matter. The International Criminal Court cannot exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression against Ukraine, so we need to establish an international mechanism to deal with the crimes of aggression. Setting up an ad hoc international tribunal under the auspices of the United Nations would be an appropriate next step to ensure accountability of the Russian leadership,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said.
The Minister expressed concern that Russia was using disinformation with respect to the side effects of its hostilities in Ukraine. On the contrary, the shortage of food supplies is not caused by the European Union’s sanctions but by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In the context of Russian aggression, Latvia invites the UN Secretariat to investigate the use of the Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles and other military goods. This should be seen as a violation of the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231.
During the meeting, the Foreign Minister expressed his support for the UN’s regional and international initiatives, in particular, the grain initiative. “We welcome the Black Sea Grain Initiative and support its continuation,” emphasized Edgars Rinkēvičs.
The Foreign Minister invited the UN Secretary-General to visit Latvia.