Ukraine’s UN envoy has suggested Russian diplomats seek help for mental health issues by calling the NHS, after they said the invasion was justified to “stop war”.
Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya on Monday held up a printout of the tweet posted by the Russian embassy in London, which quoted foreign minister Sergey Lavrov as saying that the country’s goal of military action against Ukraine was to actually prevent any war from breaking out there.
Mr Kyslytsya also read the tweet out loud at the UN meeting in New York.
“Those who posted today, this text – ‘Foreign Minister Lavrov: The goal of Russia’s special military operation is to stop any war that could take place on Ukrainian territory or that could start from there’. Russian embassy in London, retweeted by the Russian Foreign Ministry,” he said.
“Let me remind the Russian diplomats that in London, in case of need of mental help, you can dial NHS line 1-1-1,” he added.
“Thank you.”
Mr Kyslytsya also added that it was not just Russian diplomats who need mental assistance, but everyone who agreed with their claim.
He questioned how Russia planned “to stop any war that could take place on Ukrainian territory” while it continues to attack the country.
“Today... hundreds of Ukrainian cities and villages, attacked and sieged by the aggressor state are on the verge of a humanitarian disaster: the population does not have any access to drinking water, food, medicine, electricity, heating and other basic necessities,” Mr Kyslytsya said in a Facebook post following the meeting.
“The Russian occupiers are killing Ukrainian children,” he continued. “Consciously and cynically. At least 38 children have been already killed since Russia’s full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. More than 70 kids were seriously wounded.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for 12 days now as over 1.5 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave the country.
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