During an emergency session of the UN General Assembly convened at the request of Latvia and Ukraine, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze highlighted the importance of acknowledging and labeling Russia's wartime atrocities accurately. She stated that it is crucial for the international community to recognize these actions to bring about an end to the war and establish a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. This session is set to vote on a resolution supporting the long-term peace efforts for Ukraine.

Braze pointed out that the resolution put forth by Ukraine offers UN member states a chance to demonstrate their commitment to ending the war. She referred to UN reports that confirm the occurrence of war crimes and atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine, underscoring the need to confront this issue directly by calling these crimes by their rightful names. The call to action serves to strengthen international support against such violations of human rights and sovereignty.

The Minister also referenced the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, emphasizing that genocide involves actions intended to entirely or partially destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Braze's statements are part of a larger narrative that seeks to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the moral obligation for other nations to stand in solidarity against these violations, ultimately aiming to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions against the Ukrainian people.