Biden Calls for War-Crime Trial, Says Putin Must Be Held Accountable

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to speak to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the U.K. ambassador to the U.N.

Mr. Zelensky has spoken to parliaments around the world in an effort to bring attention to Russia’s invasion of his country and to seek weapons transfers and sanctions against Moscow.

The Security Council, which has the power to impose global sanctions to address conflicts, hasn’t passed any resolutions over the current conflict because of the veto power of Russia, which has a permanent seat on the council. Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., Vasily Nebenzya, was presiding over the council in February when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the war.

Western diplomats have sought to isolate Russia at the Security Council and other international forums.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.N., former deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, has frequently been invited to the council, where he has clashed with Mr. Nebenzya, a veteran diplomat.

On Tuesday, Russia’s representative will face a virtual appearance from Mr. Zelensky. Tuesday’s meeting is to begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to include Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to the U.K.’s spokesman, Mungo Woodifield.

The U.S. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Monday in Romania that she would bring up at the Security Council alleged Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine’s Kyiv region.

In his nightly video address, Mr. Zelensky said that more than 300 people are believed to have been killed of Bucha alone.

“It is likely that the list of victims will be much larger when the whole city is checked. And this is only one city,’’ he said. “In many villages of the liberated districts of the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, the occupiers did things that the locals had not seen even during the Nazi occupation 80 years ago.’’

Mr. Zelensky noted the outrage expressed by Western leaders, but asked why they hadn’t provided Ukraine with the help it says it needs to repel the Russian forces. “And if we had already got what we needed – all these planes, tanks, artillery, anti-missile and anti-ship weapons, we could have saved thousands of people. I do not blame you – I blame only the Russian military. But you could have helped.’’