“Two years on and a decade since Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the war in Ukraine remains an open wound at the heart of Europe,” António Guterres stated.
“It is high time for peace – a just peace, based on the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions,” he emphasized.
Addressing Security Council participants, with numerous Ministers and ambassadors present, the Secretary-General advised them of the United Nations concept of the sovereign equal rights of all its Members.
He mentioned that as per the UN Charter, global conflicts will be resolved by relaxed methods, which all States will avoid the hazard or usage of pressure versus the territorial stability or political freedom of any type of various other State.
‘In any war, everyone suffers’
Mr. Guterres indicated the suffering of private citizens on both sides of the battle.
In Ukraine, a minimum of 10,500 private citizens have actually passed away and much more have actually been hurt; institutions, healthcare facilities and various other crucial noncombatant facilities have actually been ruined, and numerous hundred communities and towns are removed from power throughout a harsh wintertime.
Several million individuals have actually been driven from their homes, and many households, particularly on the frontlines, depend upon altruistic help.
“Many Ukrainians are experiencing the living nightmare of losing their children. All children that have been deported must be reunited with their families,” Mr. Guterres stated.
“The war is also hurting the people of Russia. Thousands of young Russians are dying on the frontlines. Civilians hit by strikes on Russian cities are also suffering,” he included.
Danger of acceleration ‘very real’
The Secretary-General likewise articulated deep issue over the risk of the dispute intensifying and increasing “is very real”.
“Around the world, the war is deepening geopolitical divides. Fanning regional instability. Shrinking the space available to address other urgent global issues,” he stated.
Concluding his address, Mr. Guterres stated that given that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, “we have had two years of fighting, two years of suffering, two years of stoking global tensions and straining global relations.”
“Enough,” he emphasized, keeping in mind that rejecting the Charter has actually been the issue, and honouring it is the option.
“That means honouring the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. It is time to recommit to the Charter and renew respect for international law,” he stated.
“That is the path to peace and security – in Ukraine and around the world.”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
The UN Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
France: Russia have to finish battle currently

UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné of France deals with the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Séjourné stated that Russia has actually been incoming a battle for 2 years, an unjustified, unjustified and unlawful battle of hostility after looking for to attack its neighbor and take its region for one decade.
Neither Moscow’s incorrect pretenses neither its publicity and large disinformation on social media networks can conceal this clear and unassailable scenario, he stated.
Unlike Russia, Ukraine desires tranquility, he proceeded.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that remained in Paris recently, suggested a tranquility strategy greater than a year earlier, and Ukraine has actually determined crucial concepts and began conversations with many companions from all continents and not simply the European continent.
“No one wants peace more than the Ukrainian people,” he stated.
“Our Council must work for the victory of Ukraine, because it would be the victory of the Charter. The overthrow of societies through brutal and imperialist aggression should not be accepted. Russia must put an end to this war and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory, which will never belong to it.”
UK: ‘We all must stand up to Putin’

UN Photo/Evan Schneider
David Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, deals with the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
David Cameron, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, stated the Council is fulfilling 2 years given that Russian President Vladimir Putin got an entirely unwarranted invasion of a sovereign UN Member.
“My question to Putin is simple: Why?” he asked. “How is Russia living up to its responsibilities as a permanent member of this Council to uphold international peace and security? How many ridiculous explanations have we now had for the invasion?”
That is the basic fact: Mr. Putin thinks he can take regions, revise boundaries, workout pressure to develop his realm, he stated, questioning if the Council will certainly “let this stand”.
“We know Ukraine’s answer, for we saw the courage of President Zelenskyy two years ago; the Kremlin expected Ukraine to fold, but they are standing firm for their freedom,” Mr. Cameron stated, including that on Thursday, the UK enforced even more assents, securing down on Russia’s military-industrial facility and those enablers looking for to maintain it running.
“These sanctions are a reminder,” he proceeded. “In acting so brazenly, Putin is in fact openly trying to upset the international order, replacing it not with some progressive vision of equality of nations, but with a return to a 19th century ideology where might – particularly his might – is right.”
He stated, “this is why we all must stand up to Putin, not just out of sympathy for Ukraine, but because his actions in Ukraine are dangerous for everyone else,” including that regard for sovereignty exists at the heart of the global system and the UN.
“And that’s why nothing should matter more to us than seeing Putin fail,” he stated. “We must not falter. We must stand firm.”
United States prompts global assistance for Ukraine

UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States addresses the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN, remembered that 2 years earlier, as Council participants kicking back the very same table called for diplomacy and de-escalation, “President [Vladimir] Putin openly chose war.”
“We could see the reality of Russia’s brutal aggression unfolding in real time; the world could see that choice between violence and diplomacy, war and peace unfolding in real time,” she stated.
“Today, despite President Putin’s best efforts, the world continues to bear witness to Russian brutality, Russian hypocrisy and Russian cruelty,” she included.
The United States ambassador stated the “senseless war” has actually intensified global food instability, affected global power, created enormous damages to the atmosphere, and threatened the global non-proliferation routine.
She included that in the face of such ruthlessness, fatality and damage, the Ukrainian individuals have actually resisted successfully – “vastly outnumbered, they have not only defended their land but their freedoms, their democracy and their identity.”
Ms. Thomas-Greenfield called for better assistance for Ukraine, to aid it combat not just for tranquility yet for a simply, lasting tranquility, rooted in the UN Charter’s basic concepts.
“Let us be exceedingly clear here: if Russia puts down its weapons today, the war will end; if Ukraine puts down its weapons, Ukraine would be over,” she stated.
Russia: ‘In this proxy war…Ukraine is losing’

UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of the Russian Federation addresses the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
Russian Ambassador and Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia stated that a person year earlier, the Western bloc had actually attempted to advertise its relaxed efforts and freely instilled in Ukrainian President Zelenskyy the concept that he can defeat Russia. Ukraine has actually entirely stopped working, while the West remains to pump tools right into the nation and to review “dead end” tranquility potential customers.
“For the people of Ukraine, it’s increasing clear how ineffective its Government is and how much it lacks independence,” he stated. “In this proxy war…Ukraine is losing.”
Meanwhile, the European Union has actually ended up being “a satellite of the US”, and Germany, for circumstances, has actually experienced losses of billions of bucks originating from assents versus Russia.
Instead of having relationships with its neighbor, Russia, the bloc is “shooting itself in the foot” by coming under a harsher power dependence with the United States and has actually come under Russophobia.
He stated that 2 years earlier, “we sent our boys to fight to end a war” versus the Donbas area, “not to start one”.
Turning to the Minsk contracts, he stated France, the UK and others did not take these treaties seriously. At the very same time, Ukraine tipped up armed forces tasks with international States.
“Any conflict ends sooner or later,” he stated. “There’s no doubt that the Ukrainian conflict will end as well. There’s no doubt that the longer it lasts due to the sustained support by the West, the less advantageous the peace dividends will be for Ukraine.”
Europe remains in the throes of tactical loss of sight while rejecting to Russia its very own legit support passions, which is a short-sighted technique, he stated, including that the bloc remains to advertise anti-Russia publicity, which the United States attempted to do throughout the Cold War.
A reasonable Euro-Atlantic protection system have to be reviewed, he stated, keeping in mind that NATO’s present activities consist of assumptions that its growth is “an absolute right”.
China: Search for a reasonable option

UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Ambassador Zhang Jun of China addresses the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection in Ukraine.
Zhang Jun, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to the UN stated that the global neighborhood needs to proactively browse for a for a reasonable option to the dispute to guarantee that that tranquility can dominate.
Efforts need to stay concentrated on a political negotiation, he stated, specifying that the concern needs to be to quit hostilities, launch straight talks and recover tranquility.
He called the celebrations to the dispute to reveal a feeling of duty and to advertise detente.
Providing arms and stiring the fire is not the option, the Chinese ambassador proceeded, specifying that we have to persevere in the direction of usual protection.
We have to be receptive to the legit worries of all nations, he stated.
The scenario Europe is dealing with today is straight pertaining to the growth of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he stated, including that there have to be a soul-searching and for checking out the globe with an unbiased lens.
All nations, big and little, are qualified to an area in the global field, he included, keeping in mind that relapsing right into the colonial period is not a choice.
Bullying will certainly not function, win-win collaboration will, the ambassador highlighted, articulating China’s resistance to assents enforced by the United States and UK, making use of the Ukraine concern as a justification.
China is not an event to the dispute, he stated, specifying that it has actually constantly preserved that the sovereignty and the territorial stability of all nations, consisting of Ukraine, have to be appreciated.
Ukraine: Russia has no lawful right

UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine addresses the Security Council conference on the upkeep of tranquility and protection of Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, kept in mind that the Council conference was happening at the very same time of an additional air assault in the nation and much less than an hour after a household structure in Odesa had actually been struck, badly injuring 2 private citizens.
“I’m afraid that someone is going to die in Ukraine before this meeting is adjourned because talking about negotiations is one thing, but throwing more drones and missiles on Ukraine as Russia does every day is completely another thing,” he stated.
Mr. Kuleba informed the Council that Russia’s name “is synonymous with aggression, war crimes and barbarism” while “its ugly face is the direct result of its impunity, stemming first and foremost from its presence in this chamber’s seat.”
He stated the Russian Federation is inhabiting the area of the Soviet Union, which no more exists, and the lawful transfer of its seat in the Council never ever took place.
“This is an example of how a small fraud led to a global catastrophe,” he stated. “We continue to insist that Russia has no legal right to be present at this table, and the future reform should correct this historic mistake that led to deadly consequences.”
He stated about 24 years of President Putin’s routine “has already ruined millions of lives” as throughout this time, Russia has actually released or signed up with at 3 significant battles – Georgia, Ukraine and Syria – or about one every 8 years.
The nation has guarantee the tried stroke of genius in Montenegro and destabilizing initiatives in the Sahel area in Africa, he proceeded.
“And the scariest thing is that we must now focus not only on the lives already taken by Russia, but also on the lives that it is prepared to take in the future.”
Mr. Kuleba mentioned that it is just with tenacious and joint activity “that we can put the aggressor in its place and restore international peace and security.”
https://www.globalissues.org/news/2024/02/23/36076