“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance,” Secretary-General António Guterres urged Wednesday evening at the start of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, the body’s second late night session this week.
Guterres ‘saddest moment’
Speaking to journalists after the Security Council session ended, Mr. Guterres called what happened the “saddest moment” in his tenure as UN Secretary-General.
In light of this development, the UN chief said, “I must change my address and say: In the name of humanity bring your troops back to Russia. In the name of humanity to not start what may be the most devastating war since the start of the century.”
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary A. DiCarlo told the Council that earlier in the day, the “so-called authorities of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics” had requested military assistance from Russia.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency and announced other related defence and security measures, including the mobilization of reservists.
“Throughout the day we have seen disturbing reports of continued heavy shelling across the contact line and civilian and military casualties…the repeated targeting of civilian infrastructure…[and] an ongoing large-scale military build-up and military columns moving towards Ukraine,” she said.
Moreover, Russia has also reportedly shut airspace to civilian aircraft near the border with Ukraine.
“The United Nations cannot verify any of these reports, but if these developments were confirmed, they would greatly aggravate an already extremely dangerous situation,” she said.
The Ukrainian authorities are also reporting a new large-scale cyber-attack targeting several State and financial institutions.
Staying and delivering
UN staff remain on the ground to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, Ms. DiCarlo said, adding, “we are committed to staying and delivering”.
“All parties must ensure the safety and security. Respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law is also paramount”, she stated.
While the world cannot predict what will happen in the coming hours and days ahead, Ms. DiCarlo said that “what is clear is the unacceptably high cost – in human suffering and destruction – of an escalation,” concluded the senior UN official.
