United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with an urgent appeal for an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire,” calling the war “a stain on our collective conscience” and warning of escalating global risks if the fighting continues.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council session convened to commemorate the anniversary, Guterres said “the cascading consequences of this blatant violation of international law” have rippled far beyond Ukraine. He urged concrete steps to de-escalate and create room for diplomacy, commending efforts by the United States and other partners but insisting that words must translate into action.
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The human toll remains stark, Guterres said, citing more than 15,000 civilians killed and over 41,000 injured since the invasion began, among them 3,200 children. He also warned that the continuing hostilities pose “direct risks to the safe and secure operation of Ukraine’s nuclear sites,” adding: “This unconscionable game of nuclear roulette must cease immediately.”
Guterres pressed member states to fully fund humanitarian assistance and made clear that any eventual settlement must respect “the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.” His plea was unambiguous: “Enough with the death. Enough with the destruction. Enough with the broken lives and shattered futures.”
“It is time for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire — the first step toward a just peace that saves lives and ends the endless suffering,” he said.
In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky used the anniversary to intensify diplomatic pressure on Europe. In a video address to members of the European Parliament, he called on the European Union to set a date for Ukraine’s accession and to swiftly implement the bloc’s €90 billion loan package for Kyiv. Failing to fix a timeline for membership, he warned, would hand Russian President Vladimir Putin an opening “to block Ukraine for decades by dividing Europe.”
Laying out priorities for Ukraine’s fifth year at war, Zelensky urged tougher sanctions on Russian oil exports and punitive measures against additional senior Russian officials tied to the campaign in Ukraine. “There must be no place in the free world for Russian oil,” he said.
He also pressed for clarity on long-term security guarantees, saying the threat from Russia “has not become smaller.” While avoiding overt criticism of Washington, Zelensky underscored the need to maintain strong transatlantic ties as Kyiv seeks assurances against future aggression.
Framing Putin’s tenure as inseparable from conflict, Zelensky described the Russian leader as “war himself,” citing military campaigns in Chechnya and Georgia and Moscow’s intervention in Syria, which he argued contributed to Europe’s migration pressures. The remarks appeared aimed, in part, at far-right lawmakers who have opposed sustained military support for Ukraine.
Even as Zelensky rallied allies in Brussels, attention also turned to Washington, where decisions by the Trump administration will prove pivotal to keeping Kyiv’s diplomatic and financial lifelines intact as the war grinds on.
The appeals from New York and Kyiv converged on a single point: urgency. For the UN chief, that means halting the bloodshed and protecting nuclear sites while restoring the primacy of international law. For Ukraine’s president, it means locking in Europe’s political, financial and security commitments to ensure that any ceasefire leads to a durable, just peace — not a pause that invites a new assault.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
