The UN Security Council held a high-level meeting on Ukraine following a request by Kyiv, supported by the Council’s European members—Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, and the United Kingdom—on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.
The session was chaired by the UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, and briefed by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. Addressing the Council, DiCarlo described the war as “a stain on our collective conscience” and a “blatant violation of international law.”
She noted that the past year was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since 2022, with more than 15,000 civilians killed overall and millions displaced or in need of humanitarian assistance. She warned that intensified winter attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, at sub-zero temperatures, have turned electricity and heating into “a matter of life and death.”
Condemning attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure “wherever they occur,” DiCarlo called for their immediate cessation, warning of a “reckless game of nuclear roulette” that must stop. She also cited widespread human rights violations, including torture, sexual violence, and executions, and demanded the immediate return of displaced Ukrainian children.
Reaffirming that peace must be in line with international law, she stressed the need to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and called for an “immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire” as a first step toward a just peace.
Greece reiterated its unwavering solidarity with the Ukrainian people, condemning large-scale Russian air strikes on major cities and the weaponization of civilians’ energy needs. Greece’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ioannis Stamatekos, firmly rejected revisionist policies and any attempt to change borders by force, reaffirming Greece’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and to efforts toward a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
