Russia and Climate Change Dominate UN General Assembly

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz heavily criticized Putin's invasion of Ukraine, calling it an act of "imperialism plain and simple" during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Similarly to Macron, he urged other leaders to not remain passive, highlighting Russia's nuclear weapons and apparent war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Island states urge more responsibility by industrialized nations

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Marshall Islands President David Kabua both urged industrialized nations and the global community to take up more responsibility for countries already affected by climate change.

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Marcos said, "The time for talk about 'if' and 'when' has long since passed," calling on industrialized countries to fulfill their obligations to cut greenhouse gasses and support developing countries.

"The effects of climate change are uneven and reflect a historical injustice: Those who are least responsible suffer the most,'' Marcos said. "This injustice must be corrected and those who need to do more must act now.''

"The world's richest people have put its poorest at risk," he added.

Kabua criticized how "The world has failed to break our addiction to fossil fuels," stressing that not enough investments have been made in climate change adaptation, especially for small island states such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands.

"Today, we renew our call to the world to declare total war on this century's greatest challenge: the climate change monster,'' he said.

Kabua urged world leaders to cut down on fossil fuel reliance while drastically upping investment in renewable energies.

Sources: DW, AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa