Reckoning with recent reports of the deployment of foreign troops and the authorization to use long-range weapons to strike across borders, speakers in the Security Council today discussed how best to achieve peace in Ukraine as civilians there ready themselves to face a third winter under increasingly harsh conditions.
“One thousand days have passed since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in brazen violation of the UN Charter and international law,” observed Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, as she spoke for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Today, the war rages on – “undiminished” – as the Russian Federation recently launched one of its largest combined strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, alongside recent reports that Ukrainian forces would be authorized to use long-range weapons supplied by partners for strikes within the Russian Federation.
The targeted devastation of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure “may make the coming winter the harshest since the start of the war”, she said, adding that the recent reported deployment of thousands of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the conflict zone is alarming. “This would add fuel to the fire, further escalating and internationalizing this explosive conflict,” she emphasized. This war at the heart of Europe has global implications, undermines regional stability and deepens geopolitical division, she said, underscoring: “It must end.”
“Everyone on this Council should be familiar – from the climate crisis – with the concept of tipping points,” said David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom – Council President for November – as he spoke in his national capacity. “These exist in geopolitics, as they do in science,” he observed, adding: “Unless [Russian Federation President Vladimir V.] Putin fails, I believe we face one over Ukraine.” If not, the world could see the principles of the Charter of the United Nations made meaningless, with others inspired to wage imperialist wars of conquest, faith in international law lost and borders rendered less safe.
“If Russian aggression succeeds, other aggressors will be tempted to attack their neighbours and commit atrocities,” stressed Andrii Sybiha, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. While detailing the price of the war paid by Ukrainians – and the price the aggressor must pay – he also pointed to the price the world will have to pay “if it chooses appeasement instead of just peace”. Emphasizing that the price of inaction or appeasement “far exceeds the price of strong steps” – and that “false moral equivalence must stop” – he underscored that “peace at any cost in Ukraine” might lead to “an even larger, possibly global war”.
Spotlighting a different milestone, the representative of the Russian Federation recalled that 15 November marked 950 days since former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “dissuaded” Kyiv from signing a peace agreement in Istanbul. “The UK [United Kingdom] pushed the Kyiv regime into its inevitable defeat,” he said, observing that pitting neighbours against each other and sowing discord is “something the UK relished doing very well for centuries”. Underscoring that Moscow will only accept a decision “that removes the root causes of the crisis”, he added: “As for defeating Russia – I suggest that you abandon this idea. Europe has tried this several times, and the outcome of each such attempt is well-known.”
Yet, recalling that nations gathered in Bürgenstock in June to “talk for the first time at the highest level about peace in Ukraine”, Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, said that his country has continued these efforts “relentlessly” since then. “And we will continue to do so until a diplomatic solution is found,” he declared, underlining the “alarming” risk of the war expanding amidst reports of the military presence of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the Russian Federation.
“Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” said Fujii Hisayuki, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, pointing out that Pyongyang’s direct support to Moscow has serious potential consequences for both European and Indo-Pacific peace and security. What is needed now, he stressed, “is not a call for ‘peace’ that ignores Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor a demand for both sides to deescalate in an equal manner”. Rather, the question is whether to uphold or disregard the principles of the UN’s founding document. “It cannot be clearer who violates the Charter,” he noted.
“We can never accept a world where might is right,” stated Malta’s representative, emphasizing that the presence of foreign troops on the front lines “broadens this war” and directly endangers both European and global peace and security. “Contrary to Russia’s claim that their military cooperation should not worry anyone,” said the representative of the Republic of Korea, “it does concern everybody” as it clearly infringes on the sovereignty of a State and directly affects other countries in Europe and North-East Asia. “This is the first time since the Korean War that North Korea is engaged in actual combat,” he added.
Observing that “not in 100 years has Russia welcomed foreign troops on its soil”, the representative of the United States emphasized that this “is a move without modern precedent”. Further, it is a blatant violation of resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009) and 2270 (2016) – “resolutions Russia agreed to only a few years ago”, she noted. Also pointing out that Moscow violated resolution 2231 (2015) by receiving support from Tehran, she stressed: “These are the actions of a rogue State and, rather than try to justify the unjustifiable, Russia simply lies.” She added that “standing up for democracy and human rights is above petty politics and outlasts any one leader or term”.
Ukraine must be put in a position to defend itself and to commit, when it decides, to negotiations with a view to achieving a just and lasting peace, France’s representative stated. He added: “There can be no viable peace if we allow the aggressor to impose its will by force.” Echoing that, the representative of Ecuador declared that respect for States’ sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence is not negotiable. There is no provision in the Charter that allows or legitimizes the use or threat of force as a means of resolving disputes between nations, and he urged the Council to debate concrete, responsible and courageous steps to stop the conflict.
“This Council has a duty and a responsibility to respond to what is taking place,” Guyana’s representative stated, appealing to fellow Council members to continue to demand that the parties comply with their legal obligations and find a peaceful end to the war. Nevertheless, Algeria’s delegate voiced concern that “we have almost grown accustomed to this inevitable situation” as he noted the unchanged situation on the ground despite various peace initiatives. “The parties concerned have chosen the logic of escalation, confrontation and polarization,” he said, calling for additional efforts to prioritize dialogue over confrontation and war.
Among speakers echoing that appeal was Mozambique’s representative, who observed: “The resurgence of cold war era mindset and dynamics, the erosion of trust among major Powers and the growing dependence on military alliances underscore the severity of our shared predicament.” China’s delegate added that “all conflicts, in the final analysis, end at the negotiating table”, noting his country’s “shuttle diplomacy” efforts for a political settlement.
Other delegations drew attention to alarming reports by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and urged the protection of civilians as a priority. One of them, Sierra Leone’s representative, called on the international community to support the 2024-2025 Winter Response Plan’s appeal for $492.1 million to support 1.8 million people with critical winter-related humanitarian assistance.
“Too many lives have been lost,” stressed Germany’s representative, reiterating her support to Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. However, Türkiye’s representative observed that, as the war is about to enter its fourth year, there is still no strategic vision on how to end it as both sides are still investing in a military victory. This conflict can only end through negotiations, he stated. While concurring, Iceland’s representative – also speaking for Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden – added that any peace plan must be crafted in collaboration with Ukraine.
“We strongly reject attempts to pressure Ukraine to negotiate on unfavourable terms,” declared Lithuania’s representative, also speaking for Estonia and Latvia. He also noted that, in 2024, these countries joined the United Nations’ Ukraine Regional Refugee Response Plan. For his part, the representative of Poland reported that his Government earmarked 4.91 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) for assistance to Ukraine. Italy’s representative, along those lines, announced that his country will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2025.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Czech Republic urged Member States – including China – to “cease enabling” Moscow’s aggression. Similarly, the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, emphasized that if countries do not condemn the Russian Federation’s aggression today they “will end up condoning similar blatant attacks on any or all of our countries tomorrow”. Urging the Kremlin to withdraw its troops, Romania’s representative underscored: “This message has been valid on day one of the aggression – as it is now, after almost 1,000 days.”
“For 1,000 days,” said Marko Štucin, Deputy Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, “we have been discussing the casualties of the war – and each time our deliberations were followed by silence and impunity.” Further, each day of Council inaction diminished the integrity of international law. Pointing to estimates that in the first half of 2024, “three times as many people died in Ukraine as there were born”, he stated that the only way to stop the war is through a peace plan with which Ukraine – as the country under attack – agrees. “And this war must stop,” he urged.
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