Russia Calls for a ceasefire to allow civilians rejected abandonment in Ukraine on Tuesday, saying that requests to stop fighting were not sincere and would only provide time arm Ukrainian fighters.
Rejection, given in a United Nations security Council The meeting on Ukraine came just hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a four-day ceasefire to allow evacuations to bring food and medicine to war zones and safe corridors.
Civilians, including children, are stranded in the eastern Ukraine region of the Donbass, where Russia has launched a new and more fierce offensive, as well as in the devastated port city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian defenders are making a final stand from bunkers in a steel complex.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polansky told the Security Council that the call for his country to establish a humanitarian ceasefire was “unbelievable, and in practice they are only giving the Kyiv nationalists a breather to regroup and get more drones”. more anti-tank missiles and more MANPADS.” He was referring to man-portable air-defense systems, which were essentially highly mobile surface-to-air missiles. Huh.
Earlier, Guterres said that more than 12 million people in Ukraine now need humanitarian aid, but that number is expected to rise to 15.7 million, or about 40% of all Ukrainians remaining in the country. Millions have fled abroad, and many others have been internally displaced.
Even China, which has not condemned Russia and avoided votes on resolutions against it, said it supported a humanitarian ceasefire and called on Russia and Ukraine to move toward that goal. .
The reality gap was on display between Russia and most of the Security Council members and UN officials. Two UN officials and diplomats representing Eastern European countries that host millions of Ukrainian refugees faced challenges to the situation, which Russia dismissed as saying Ukraine had been plagued by migration of its citizens for years.
Some statements from UN officials and diplomats on Tuesday spoke of growing frustration over its inability to broker a ceasefire, mediate a peace deal or persuade Russia to end its aggression.
“Allies, it appears that these meetings do not affect either the frontline security situation or the humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” said Ukraine’s ambassador, Sergei Kislitsya.
Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has veto power and has used it twice on resolutions focused on Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February. But diplomatic efforts also failed, led by Martin Griffiths, the UN’s top humanitarian chief, who traveled to Russia and Ukraine last week.
“So while we continue our work to provide aid, we need this council to do its job as well,” said Kelly Clements, deputy high commissioner for the UN refugee agency. “That’s why we call on you all again in this Council – and yes, we are aware of deep divisions – to set aside our differences and find a way to end this terrible and senseless war.”
Rejection, given in a United Nations security Council The meeting on Ukraine came just hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a four-day ceasefire to allow evacuations to bring food and medicine to war zones and safe corridors.
Civilians, including children, are stranded in the eastern Ukraine region of the Donbass, where Russia has launched a new and more fierce offensive, as well as in the devastated port city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian defenders are making a final stand from bunkers in a steel complex.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polansky told the Security Council that the call for his country to establish a humanitarian ceasefire was “unbelievable, and in practice they are only giving the Kyiv nationalists a breather to regroup and get more drones”. more anti-tank missiles and more MANPADS.” He was referring to man-portable air-defense systems, which were essentially highly mobile surface-to-air missiles. Huh.
Earlier, Guterres said that more than 12 million people in Ukraine now need humanitarian aid, but that number is expected to rise to 15.7 million, or about 40% of all Ukrainians remaining in the country. Millions have fled abroad, and many others have been internally displaced.
Even China, which has not condemned Russia and avoided votes on resolutions against it, said it supported a humanitarian ceasefire and called on Russia and Ukraine to move toward that goal. .
The reality gap was on display between Russia and most of the Security Council members and UN officials. Two UN officials and diplomats representing Eastern European countries that host millions of Ukrainian refugees faced challenges to the situation, which Russia dismissed as saying Ukraine had been plagued by migration of its citizens for years.
Some statements from UN officials and diplomats on Tuesday spoke of growing frustration over its inability to broker a ceasefire, mediate a peace deal or persuade Russia to end its aggression.
“Allies, it appears that these meetings do not affect either the frontline security situation or the humanitarian situation in Ukraine,” said Ukraine’s ambassador, Sergei Kislitsya.
Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has veto power and has used it twice on resolutions focused on Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February. But diplomatic efforts also failed, led by Martin Griffiths, the UN’s top humanitarian chief, who traveled to Russia and Ukraine last week.
“So while we continue our work to provide aid, we need this council to do its job as well,” said Kelly Clements, deputy high commissioner for the UN refugee agency. “That’s why we call on you all again in this Council – and yes, we are aware of deep divisions – to set aside our differences and find a way to end this terrible and senseless war.”