After the adoption of a resolution on this issue in the largest United Nations body, Guterres stressed this text calls for stopping hostilities and silencing weapons.
The situation in Ukraine could get much worse, the Portuguese diplomat warned, also referring to the consequences for regional peace and security amid the struggle to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Looking ahead, Guterres stressed, I will do everything in my power to contribute to an immediate cessation of hostilities, based on urgent negotiations.
This Wednesday, after three days of sessions, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution condemning Russia’s military actions in Ukraine and calling for peace.
The resolution, which is not binding, had the vote in favor of 141 member states, while five countries were against (Russia, Belarus, Syria, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Eritrea) and 35 abstentions were recorded.
For its part, Russia’s representation at the UN asserted before the General Assembly that its operations in Ukraine are defensive in nature and do not intend to invade that country.
Likewise, the Russian ambassador Vasili Nebenzia recalled that for eight years, the inhabitants of Donbass have suffered the aggressions of the Ukrainian nationalists without this seeming to alarm the international community.
Most of the countries that took part in the special session held since last Monday in the Assembly, advocated diplomatic means to resolve the situation, while the West continued to threaten Russia and insisted on blaming it for everything that happened.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in the Ukrainian autonomous region of Donbass, after the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk requested help to repel the aggression of Kiev.
Three days earlier, on February 21, President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence and sovereignty of both territories and signed treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance that included not only the establishment of diplomatic relations but also military support.
Putin warned in a televised speech that the operation is aimed at protecting the population of Donbass from abuses and genocide by Ukraine over the past eight years and demilitarizing the neighboring country.
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