The first UN Security Council meeting chaired by US President Donald Trump proved to be quite dynamic, with world leaders offering vastly different opinions on Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
26 September 2018
Washington’s ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has wrapped up the meeting after Trump left his seat during Ethiopia’s address.
Sweden’s Wallstrom has mentioned stories of victims of nuclear and chemical weapons. "The use of chemical weapons is morally abhorrent and can never be accepted."
Lavrov addressed the "unsubstantiated" rhetoric of the UK regarding the Salisbury affair, noting that London is avoiding the joint investigation that Moscow has offered. "If they do not want to cooperate, does this mean that they have something to hide?" he asked, while calling on London to begin a constructive dialogue.
The government of Syria destroyed their entire chemical arsenal, Lavrov said, adding that terrorists in Syria have chemical warfare agents and are building labs for that purpose.
The US withdrawal of the Iran nuclear deal creates a "serious threat," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Russia is convinced that JCPOA needs to be kept, in order to avoid escalated tensions in the Middle East which could increase the risk of instability.
Wang Yi says China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs and will not accept unwarranted accusations against it.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the JCPOA is a viable agreement, and that Beijing encourages Iran to continue to fulfill all commitments it has made.
Rutte reaffirmed his confidence in Britain's investigation into the attacks of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, and welcomed criminal charges as an important step in holding those responsible to account.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has cited that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded in 12 consecutive reports that Iran is abiding by its commitments under the nuclear deal. "As long as this continues, we'll also uphold our commitment to the deal," he said.
However, he said that the Netherlands is concerned about Iran's role in the region, its ballistic missile program, and its human rights record.
On the poisoning of Russian ex-double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury earlier this year, May boldly claimed that Moscow "recklessly deployed a nerve agent on our streets."
She went on to accuse Russia of "desperate fabrication" on the matter.
May says she wants to see the OPCW empowered to attribute responsibility for chemical weapons attacks such as in Syria.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has accused Russia of using its veto to prevent the Security Council from holding the Assad government to account, alleging that Damascus has used chemical weapons.
Morales has taken aim at Washington, saying the US falsely claims to act in the cause of "justice, freedom, and democracy" under the guise of human rights and humanitarian reasons.
"In no way is the United States interested in upholding democracy - if such were the case it would not have financed coup d'etat and supported dictators. It would not have threatened with military intervention democratically elected governments as it has done with Venezuela. The United States could not care less about human rights or justice..."
Morales praised the countries which remained part of the Iran nuclear deal following Washington's withdrawal.
Bolivian President Evo Morales says his country "categorically condemns" unilateral actions imposed by the US against Iran, saying Tehran is currently the "victim of a US siege."
The French president addressed the "ballistic assistance" being given to Hezbollah and Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying that this must stop before the region is further destabilized.
Fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) confirmed that terrorist groups "are interested in weapons of mass destruction," Macron said, while calling for international cooperation in fighting terrorist groups.
Macron says the Security Council should not lose sight of the fact that North Korea "continues to represent a nuclear and ballistic threat for the region and the world."
Macron disagrees with Trump on the Iran nuclear deal. He admits the deal "isn't perfect," but is a decisive step in the right direction. A long-term strategy is needed to deal with Iran and it cannot boil down to just sanctions and containment. "We need to have the basis for new negotiations," he said.
Trump has now passed the floor to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The US will pursue sanctions "tougher than ever before" to counter Iran's conduct. Any entity failing to comply will face "severe consequences."
Trump is "proud" of progress made with North Korea, citing a cessation of nuclear tests, returned hostages, and the remains of US heroes being returned home.
Trump said he has "gotten to know" and "like" Kim Jong-un, adding that many things are happening "behind the scenes."
Trump has brought up election interference, claiming that China has plans to do so in the 2018 elections because he is the first president to challenge Beijing on trade.
Trump "thanks" Iran, Russia, and Syria for "substantially slowing down their attack on Idlib province" in order to "get 35,000 targeted terrorists." He has also thanked Turkey for helping to negotiate "restraint."
The US president has hailed Washington's imposition of "severe consequences" on the Assad government in Syria, saying that it used chemical weapons against its people.
Trump has once again called the Iran nuclear deal "horrible" and "one-sided," just one day after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani slammed the US for its "illegal" withdrawal from the deal.
Trump has called the meeting to order, saying he is "honored" to chair the session. He said the topics of the session – the proliferation of deadly chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them – were of "urgent importance."
US President Donald Trump is set to chair the UN Security Council meeting for the very first time, with Washington's UN ambassador Nikki Haley saying it will be "the most watched Security Council meeting ever."