Geneva (TDI): Dozens of delegates walked out of a United Nations session in Geneva on Tuesday, during a speech by Russia’s ambassador, in a coordinated protest marking four years since the Russia-Ukraine war. The walkout took place at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament as Gennady Gatilov started speaking.
The protest was timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has deepened geopolitical divisions between Moscow and Western capitals.
As the ambassador took to podium to address the conference, representatives from several Western and allied countries stood up and quietly left the room. Many later gathered outside the chamber holding Ukrainian flags in a symbolic show of solidarity with Kyiv.
Throughout the session, multiple countries criticized Moscow’s actions as violations of international law. Russia, for its part, has consistently framed the war as a response to what it calls security threats from NATO expansion and Western interference.
During the session, Gatilov defended Moscow’s position on the Ukraine conflict and said that Western countries, especially members of NATO, are responsible for the crisis.
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According to reports from Russian state media, Gatilov argued that the crisis in Ukraine stems from what he described as the West’s attempts to assert dominance and refuse meaningful peace efforts. He presented Russia’s military stance as a response to those perceived pressures rather than an act of unprovoked aggression.
The Conference on Disarmament, one of the UN’s key multilateral arms control forums, has often been paralyzed by geopolitical tensions in recent years, particularly since the outbreak of the war.
Russia remains a permanent member of the UN Security Council, with veto power, which has complicated efforts to pass binding resolutions condemning its actions. While the General Assembly has repeatedly voted to denounce Russia, enforcement remains a challenge.
After Russian ambassador concluded his remarks, many of the delegates who had walked out returned to the chamber, underscoring that the action was meant as a symbolic protest rather than a disruption of proceedings.
Four years into the conflict, the Geneva walkout highlights how the war in Ukraine continues to have impact beyond the battlefield, shaping alliances, hardening political stances, and testing the credibility of international institutions.
Usman Naseer
Usman Naseer is a writer and researcher in international affairs, conflict studies, and geopolitics. With a background in Peace and Conflict Studies, his work explores emerging security challenges, diplomacy, and global power shifts.
