On February 24, marking one year of the Russia-Ukraine war, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday (local time) urged Russia to end the war in Ukraine, saying, “War is not the solution, war is the problem. “
In a remark to the General Assembly’s emergency special session on Ukraine, he said, “War is not the solution. War is the problem. The people in Ukraine are suffering immensely. Ukrainians, Russians and the people need peace. While the prospects may look bleak, ” Today, we must all work knowing that real, lasting peace must be based on the United Nations Charter and international law. The longer the fighting continues, the more difficult this task will be. We don’t have a moment to lose.”
The UN Secretary General said that the one-year mark of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a serious milestone for the people of Ukraine and the international community.
He said, “This invasion is an affront to our collective conscience. It is a violation of the United Nations Charter and international law. It is having dramatic humanitarian and human rights consequences. And the effects are being felt far beyond Ukraine.”
Guterres said Russia’s attack on Ukraine challenges the foundational principles and values of the multilateral system.
Read also: Ukraine’s leader vows to push for victory on war anniversary
The UN Charter is not clear, he said, that “all Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.” “
The UN chief said the General Assembly addressed in clear terms the Russian Federation’s attempt to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine – Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
In doing so, the Assembly reaffirmed the long-standing principles of international law enshrined in its historic 1970 Declaration on Friendly Relations. That is, “the territory of a State shall not be the object of acquisition by another State resulting from the threat or use of force”, and “no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be legally recognized”.
He said that the position of the United Nations is clear. ,
“We remain committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” the UN chief said.
Guterres further said that 40 percent of the people of Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance.
“Critical infrastructure has been targeted – water, energy and heating systems have been destroyed at the end of winter. UN agencies are also cooperating with host countries, which have received more than 8 million Ukrainians. done – the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War,” he said.
Notably, last week, the United Nations launched a humanitarian appeal for 5.6 billion USD for the people of Ukraine.
“I urge your full support. I have visited Ukraine twice since the start of the war where I have heard evidence of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. As elsewhere in this conflict, the United Nations Committed to ensuring justice and accountability,” Guterres said.
Speaking on the Black Sea Grain Initiative to advance global food security – supported by the Turkish government and the United Nations, he said, “Despite ongoing challenges, the initiative to send grain and other food items from Ukraine is making a difference We are working hard to remove all remaining obstacles to implement the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretariat of the United Nations and the Russian Federation to facilitate the export of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets. This global food insecurity is also an important contribution to the removal of
Talking about the serious threat related to the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, Guterres said, “I commend the International Atomic Energy Agency for its efforts to ensure that the region remains safe. The safety of all Ukrainian and the safety nuclear power plants must guarantee. War is also fueling regional instability and fueling global tension and division while diverting attention and resources from other crises and pressing global issues. Meanwhile, we have The inherent dangers of the use of weapons have been heard. The use of so-called strategic nuclear weapons is completely unacceptable.”
This story has been obtained from a third party syndicated feed, Agencies. Mid-Day accepts no responsibility or liability for its reliance, reliability, credibility and data of the text. Mid-day Management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to modify, delete or remove (without notice) any Content at its sole discretion for any reason whatsoever.
