The United States and Britain have invited ambassadors, journalists and representatives of a broad spectrum of society to a UN screening of the award-winning documentary “20 Days in Mariupol,” which follows a trio of Associated Press journalists during Russia’s relentless siege of the Ukrainian port city in the early days of the war.
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward said the Monday evening screening at UN headquarters is important because “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens what the UN stands for: an international order where the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is fundamental.” The screening comes at the start of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and a week before world leaders arrive for their annual meeting, where the more than 18-month war in Ukraine is expected to be in the spotlight — especially with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy scheduled to speak in person for the first time. It documents fighting in the streets, the crushing strain on Mariupol’s residents, and attacks that killed pregnant women, children and others. The siege, which ended on May 20, 2022, with the surrender of a small group of outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian fighters at the Azovstal steel plant, left thousands dead and the city in ruins. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said “’20 Days in Mariupol’ is a living document of the horrors of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war of aggression.” “We must bear witness to these atrocities and reaffirm our commitment to justice and peace in Ukraine,” she said.