Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended the Security Council meeting and presented his views to the Russian delegation at the diplomatic level.
Secretary-General Guterres said the Security Council’s charter is absolutely clear: all international disputes must be resolved peacefully.
Russia’s invasion of Crimea began a decade ago, followed by the rest of Ukraine in 2022. This is a “flagrant violation of these principles” and ordinary citizens are paying a heavy price for it.
Two and a half years have passed since the start of the war in Ukraine, in which more than 11,000 civilians have lost their lives and thousands more have been injured.
“The longer this tragic war drags on, the greater the risk of it spreading and escalating.”
The death toll is mounting and 10 million Ukrainian citizens have been forced to flee their homes. “15 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, more than half of whom are girls and women.”
worst case scenario
The UN Secretary-General said the pain and suffering was deepened by the planned attacks on hospitals, schools and supermarkets. Millions of people are in the dark due to power outages and damage to infrastructure.
Attacks on energy facilities and blackouts are expected to displace more than half a million people ahead of the coming winter.
With deep concern over the situation at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant located in Russian-controlled territory, he called on all parties to accept their responsibilities and refrain from destabilizing actions.
Secretary-General Guterres assured that despite all the difficulties, the United Nations has a large presence in Ukraine and is engaged in humanitarian assistance needs.
This year, together with our partner organizations, more than 6.2 million people have been provided with life-saving assistance, but the support of the international community is needed.
The UN chief called for the acceleration of efforts to establish a lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law and said the UN stands ready to support all these efforts.