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UN reiterates support for Ukraine’s sovereignty as anniversary of full-scale invasion nears; reports recent civilian harm
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Summary
The UN briefed that the secretary-general and UN political officers continue to press for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, reported civilian casualties from recent attacks and damage to energy infrastructure leaving an estimated 100,000 people without heating.
The United Nations said Friday it continues to press for a negotiated settlement that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it noted the coming anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Miroslav Yensha, the assistant secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, briefed Security Council members and recalled diplomatic efforts, including a reference to UN Security Council Resolution 2202 related to earlier Minsk agreements. The UN spokesperson reiterated that ‘‘settlement must respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine in line with the UN Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly.’’
The spokesperson said attacks this week and over the weekend killed and injured civilians across Ukraine, with frontline communities in Dnipro, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia most affected. In a separate incident the briefing said a thermal power plant in Mykolaiv was damaged, leaving an estimated 100,000 men, women and children without heating as temperatures dropped below freezing. The spokesperson added that about 2,760 residential buildings and nearly 70 schools and kindergartens and 20 health facilities lost access to heating and municipal services, and that local authorities and partners are working to restore services.
When asked about planned diplomatic meetings in Saudi Arabia and an emergency European leaders’ meeting in Paris, the UN spokesperson said the organization is ‘‘monitoring’’ developments and reiterated the UN preference for inclusive talks that involve Ukraine and that any negotiated outcome should align with international law and General Assembly resolutions. The spokesperson said the secretary-general ‘‘encourages dialogue among all stakeholders’’ but declined to comment on meetings that had not yet happened.
The briefing did not announce any UN-led role in upcoming bilateral or multilateral talks and said the UN currently has no representatives deployed in either Saudi Arabia or Paris for those meetings.
