The UN Security Council, of which Russia has five permanent members, adopted on Friday its first official statement since the start of the war in Ukraine, expressing “deep concern over the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine” – although it does not use the words “war”. “Conflict” or “invasion”.
“The Security Council recalls that all Member States have undertaken, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to resolve their international disputes by peaceful means,” the council said in a statement.
The Security Council also backed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts to find a “peaceful solution” to the “dispute”.
“Today, for the first time, the Security Council speaks with one voice for peace in Ukraine,” Guterres said, referring to the council’s statement. “As I have often said, the world must unite to silence weapons and defend the values of the UN Charter. I welcome this support and will continue to work to save lives, reduce suffering and find a way to peace. “
Guterres met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, who agreed to evacuate civilians from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Although the evacuations continued on Friday, both sides disputed the number of evacuees. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said 50 people had been evacuated from the steel plant, while Russian state media reported that 25 Ukrainian civilians had been evacuated. The Washington Post could not independently verify the numbers.
Add Comment