The so-called “referenda” conducted by de facto authorities in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine have been held during active armed conflict in the country and cannot be called a genuine expression of the popular will, the United Nations senior political and peacebuilding official told the Security Council today, as members condemned the Russian Federation’s “sham referenda”, while others called for a return to peace talks. […]
Ruchira Kamboj (India) said that her country had repeatedly called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the need to resolve the ongoing conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unequivocally stated to Russian President Putin on the side lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tashkent. The global order is anchored on international law, United Nations Charter and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of States. […]
Zhang Jun (China) said his country will continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and dialogue. He recalled that, in the recently concluded high-level general debate of the General Assembly, many leaders expressed concern about the prolongation of crisis in Ukraine and its spillover effects and called for dialogue to cease hostilities. Stressing that bloc confrontation and political isolation will only lead to a dead end, he said: “The task at hand is to push parties to open the door to political settlement as soon as possible and include their legitimate concerns in negotiations.” The signing of the Black Sea Grain initiative showed that, even in conflict situations, diplomacy can produce results and bring hope. International order based on international law must be upheld; they should not be mere political slogans. The Council should make full use of mediation tools provided for in the Charter and “stick to the right direction — that is ceasefire and peace talks”. His country will work with all peace-loving countries to deescalate the situation and resolve the crisis. Läs referatet