Ukraine's ambassador says Russia's 'words have less value than a hole in the New York pretzel' at a UN meeting
- Russia's ambassador to the United Nations vetoed a resolution denouncing the invasion of Ukraine.
- Ukraine's ambassador fired back and said that the invasion was reminiscent of Nazis in World War II.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations called the Russian invasion a "Nazi-style course of action" during a United Nations Security Council draft resolution that called on Moscow to withdraw its troops and halt its assault on Ukraine.
Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzya, who currently serves as president of the council for the month of February, vetoed the resolution, calling it "anti-Russian."
"How can we trust you? You have no idea what is on the mind of your president. Your words have less value than a hole in the New York pretzel," Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said following the vote, ABC News reported.
Kyslytsya said Russia's veto wasn't a surprise. While China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstained from voting, the United States, which drafted the resolution, United Kingdom, France, Norway, Ireland, Albania, Gabon, Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, and Kenya all voted in favor of it.
"Russia, you can veto this resolution, but you cannot veto our voices," US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at the meeting. "You cannot veto the truth. You cannot veto our principles. You cannot veto the Ukrainian people. You cannot veto the UN Charter. And you will not veto accountability."
Before initiating a moment of silence among the delegation, Kyslytsya invited Russia's ambassador to "pray for salvation."