On the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, dozens of countries called on Russia to end the war.
“We renew our call on Russia to stop its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba read from a joint statement by more than fifty countries before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Friday. Russia must ensure a “complete, immediate and unconditional withdrawal” of all troops from internationally recognized Ukrainian territory.
Kuleba also called on Russian allies such as Iran, Belarus and North Korea to stop arms shipments and other forms of military support. Finally, he thanked his Ukrainian fellow citizens for their help. “We are strong. We are united. We are determined. And we will keep our promises.”
Two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and ten years after the annexation of Crimea, there was a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the subject on Friday with several foreign ministers, before in the afternoon the UN Security Council met.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also called for an end to the fighting. “It is high time for peace – a just peace based on the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the resolutions of the General Assembly,” Guterres told the UN Security Council on Friday.
The 74-year-old Portuguese also warned of an expansion of the conflict in Eastern Europe. Numerous war crimes, particularly committed by the Russian armed forces, must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was not present at the Security Council, nor were his counterparts from Russia and China. The Council has been blocked by Russia’s veto since the start of the war.