United Nations Secretary-General Urges Immediate, Fair Peace in Ukraine
In a session of the United Nations Security Council convened in New York on the second anniversary of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine.
"It is high time for peace, for a just peace founded on the UN Charter, international law, and the resolutions of the General Assembly," Guterres declared.
The UN's leading diplomat also cautioned against the expansion of the conflict in Eastern Europe. He mentioned that numerous war crimes need to be investigated, and the perpetrators held accountable. "Many Ukrainians are living a real nightmare with the loss of their children," said the Secretary-General, emphasizing that children who have been taken to Russia, in part, must be returned to their families.
Notably missing from the meeting were U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian and Chinese counterparts.
In a Friday evening message on Telegram, Mikola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, reported the downing of a Russian A-50 early warning aircraft. The Ukrainian military intelligence suggests that the plane crashed in the Krasnodar region.
The Russian side has not yet confirmed the Ukrainian report. The Russian news agency TASS reported only a fire in the area, which was allegedly caused by a fallen flying object.