Ukraine: Statement During Security Council Briefing Marking Six Months of War
Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations
On August 24, 2022 — the thirty-first anniversary of Ukraine's independence and the six-month mark of Russia's invasion — the UN Security Council held a briefing on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine, requested by Albania, France, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Briefers included Secretary-General António Guterres and Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, and President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Council by videoconference. Kenya's Permanent Representative, Martin Kimani, delivered a national statement during the session; PassBlue's contemporary report quoted him saying Ukraine "deserves the same freedom and independence that we enjoy" and is "a member of our United Nations in good standing," while noting that Kenya remained the most vocal of the three African elected Council members against the invasion even as Kimani stopped short of naming Russia directly.