Ukraine: Hopes for peace on life help, Security Council hears | EUROtoday
“The longer the war continues, the longer its regional and global impacts will be felt, and the more difficult it will be to find a peaceful resolution,” stated Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
She recalled the adoption of Security Council decision 2774 in February – the primary since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which sparked a way of optimism for a diplomatic answer.
That has since been changed by a way of worldwide frustration – and extra struggling in Ukraine following the surge in assaults.
“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” Ms. DiCarlo warned.
Rising civilian toll
The weekend’s escalation has been described as the most important wave of assaults, with document numbers of long-range missiles and drones killing and injuring dozens of civilians and damaging properties and infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and different cities.
Russian areas bordering Ukraine additionally reported civilian casualties and infrastructure injury. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 9 civilians have been killed and 117 injured by Ukrainian strikes between 19 and 25 May, with an additional 17 civilians killed and over 100 injured the week earlier than.
“The United Nations is not able to verify these reports. However, if confirmed, these figures serve as a vivid reminder of the rising civilian toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainemost egregiously in Ukraine, but also increasingly in the Russian Federation itself,” Ms. DiCarlo stated.
International humanitarian regulation strictly prohibits assaults towards civilians and civilian infrastructure, she harassed.
“They are unacceptable and indefensible – wherever they occur – and must stop immediately.”
‘Every delay costs lives’
Lisa Doughten, Director for Financing on the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a dire image on the bottom.
Over 5,000 individuals – largely from Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy areas – have been newly displaced prior to now week alone, including to the three.7 million already displaced throughout Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas stay largely reduce off from humanitarian help.
Despite escalating challenges, humanitarian organizations – lots of them native NGOs – proceed to ship meals, water, hygiene kits and safety providers.
However, solely 1 / 4 of the $2.6 billion wanted for the 2025 humanitarian response plan has been funded, leaving support staff struggling to satisfy rising wants.
“Every delay costs lives. Every dollar helps us reach the next family under fire with aid, educate the next child out of school, help evacuate people with disabilities, and sustain water in front-line communities,” Ms. Doughten stated.
“The needs do not shrink. And so, our resolve cannot falter.”

A wideview of the Security Council assembly as members talk about the scenario in Ukraine
The struggle is a strategic mistake: US
Sanctions for Russia are “still on the table” in the event that they make the “wrong decision” to proceed the catastrophic struggle towards Ukraine, the consultant of the United States, John Kelley, instructed ambassadors.
“President [Donald] Trump has emphasised from the beginning that this war was a strategic mistake and should never have happened; time is not on the side of any who would prolong it,” Mr. Kelley stated.
The US additionally condemned Russia’s determination to launch document numbers of long-range missiles and drones towards civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine this previous weekend.
Mr. Kelley famous that if Russia makes the “wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war,” the United States could also be compelled to finish their negotiation efforts.
“To be clear, in doing so, we would not be ‘abandoning’ our principles or our friends. Rather, we would be recognising Russia’s refusal to work with us toward a desirable outcome,” he stated.
Mr. Kelley additionally referenced President Trump’s dialog with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 May, saying that the US is anticipating a “term sheet” which is able to define a Russian ceasefire proposal.
“We will judge Russia’s seriousness towards ending the war not only by the contents of that term sheet, but more importantly, by Russia’s actions,” Mr. Kelley stated.
Ukraine attempting to derail peace: Russia
Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the Ukrainian Government of making an attempt to “deceive and mislead” President Donald Trump as a way to push the US away from its central position brokering negotiations.
“As long as the spectre of the ‘Russian threat’ persists, [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s clique can avoid accountability for embezzled budget funds and Western – primarily American – aid, which now totals tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars,” Mr. Nebenzya stated.
“Even their partners in Europe and the [Joe] Biden administration, who have also profited greatly from the conflict in Ukraine, are starting to grow weary of this.”
Regarding allegations that Russia is focusing on civilians in Ukraine, he claimed the casualties are the results of Ukrainian air protection methods being “positioned near residential buildings and public infrastructure in violation of basic international humanitarian law.”
He acknowledged that the true targets of Russian strikes are military-industrial websites, citing the destruction of ammunition depots and different weapons amenities in numerous Ukrainian areas.
Ukraine open to talks that ‘yield tangible results’
Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, stated that the worldwide group should enhance strain on Russia, together with via sanctions, to finish the “diplomatic stalemate” for which she squarely blamed Russia.
“Ukraine did not initiate this war, nor do we desire its continuation,” Ms. Hayovyshyn stated.
She famous that President Volodymyr Zelensky stays keen to satisfy President Vladimir Putin at any level for direct talks, however that the Russian President has not made himself obtainable – together with failing to attend the negotiations in Türkiye the place Mr. Zelensky was current.
“We are not afraid of talks,” she stated. “We are for constructive talks.”
Ms. Hayovyshyn stated that “only positive result” of the assembly in Türikye was the settlement from each Russia and Ukraine to every launch 1,000 prisoners of struggle.
But she reiterated that Ukraine wouldn’t compromise on its territorial integrity or sovereignty when negotiating for peace.
“Achieving peace at any cost will not end the war. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace must rest on a fundamental respect towards non-negotiable principles,” she stated.
https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2025/05/1163856