Bala Chambers
01 March 2022•Update: 01 March 2022
LONDON
Argentina's foreign minister condemned Russia on Monday for its attack against Ukraine.
During the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Santiago Cafiero called on Moscow to "immediately cease the use of force" and advocated dialogue as a means to seek a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
"In the midst of the anguish caused by the conflict in the heart of Europe, I wanted to begin by transmitting this message from the Argentine people, a people that, due to their own suffering, embrace the most absolute of human rights: the right to life," Cafiero said during his six-minute speech.
In what appeared to be a hardening stance against the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Cafiero said Argentina “condemns the invasion of Ukraine as well as the military operations in its territory."
"It is not legitimate to resort to the use of force and to violate the territorial integrity of another state as a way to resolve a conflict. Preventive wars are reprehensible because they are not lawful,” he added.
However, he appeared to not directly condemn Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine.
“The international community has no right to condemn any state's concern for its security," he said, adding "every concern is legitimate, and in any case, it will be a debatable matter at a negotiation table or at the pertinent forum."
But Cafiero went on to stress the role of diplomacy as a means to de-escalate military action during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"We reiterate our commitment to negotiations and dialogue as a form of international coexistence and we are convinced that multilateral tools will grow in prestige the more effective they are in resolving humanity's challenges and crises," he said.
The Argentine official went on to call for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
”The world cannot bear more suffering, nor should it tolerate more deaths. Peace is urgent. Dialogue must begin now."
