News Desk :
The United Nations and several countries called Thursday for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with little mention of reviving the two countries’ apparently stalled peace talks.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a violation of its territorial integrity and of the Charter of the United Nations,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a Security Council meeting organized by the United States, AFP reports.
“It must end for the sake of the people of Ukraine, Russia, and the entire world,” he added.
Guterres recently visited Moscow and Kyiv to advocate for the evacuation of civilians from the battered port city of Mariupol, from where several hundred people have been able to escape since the weekend.
The majority of the Security Council’s members, including China, the United States, Ireland, France and Mexico called for an end to the months-old conflict.
The Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun underscored that only diplomacy would end the fighting, criticizing arms shipments to Ukraine.
His Kenyan counterpart Martin Kimani called for Guterres’ mediation.
“Every opportunity must be used to achieve peace,” said Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya.
According to diplomats, non-permanent members of the Security Council Norway and Mexico submitted a text expressing “strong support to the efforts of the Secretary-General and the offer of his good offices in the search for a peaceful solution.”
An adoption of the statement, which would be the first show of unity in the council since Russia’s February 24 invasion, remains uncertain.
“There is time,” Deputy Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told AFP when asked if Moscow might approve it.
The UN chief says that 500 people have now been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant, Mariupol and surrounding areas.
Guterres said in a tweet that the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross operation involved two safe passage convoys.
Late on Thursday, Zelenskyy said in a video address that more than 150 people from Azovstal and more than 300 people from Mariupol and its suburbs had been evacuated this week. Evacuations are hoped to continue on Friday.
The UN’s top human rights official has said the UN has recorded 6,731 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the war began. “It pains me to say that all our concerns remain valid and the situation keeps deteriorating,”
Michelle Bachelet told the Security Council.
Bachelet said her office is documenting forced disappearances of representatives of local authorities, journalists and civil society activists. She said the office investigated 180 cases, with five of the individuals found dead.
“Grim evidence of torture, ill-treatment and summary executions of prisoners of war committed by both parties to the conflict is surfacing,” she said.
