UN COUNTRIES URGE CEASEFIRE – Over 50 countries at UN urge Russia to accept unconditional Ukraine ceasefire
More than 50 countries and the European Union urged Russia to accept a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, issuing a joint statement at the United Nations ahead of Security Council talks on the war.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen delivered the statement as Ukraine marked 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union. It condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion and reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
The countries said civilian casualties had risen sharply as Russian attacks intensified. The U.N. Human Rights Office recorded last month the highest number of Ukrainian civilians killed and injured in a single month since March 2022, including at least 437 people killed, according to the statement.
They also called for prisoner exchanges, the release of unlawfully detained people and the return of civilians forcibly transferred or deported, including thousands of Ukrainian children. The group warned of escalating risks from drone incidents and airspace violations.
