U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for an end to the “absurd warfare” that began with Russia’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine a month ago. He warned that the conflict is “going nowhere fast” and that the Ukrainian people “are living in a hell.”
Guterres stated to reporters in New York that “continuing the war in Ukraine was morally unacceptable, politically unfensible, and militarily nonsensical.”
Russia is making a mass assault on the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which has been closed off for several weeks. The local council described two more large bombs as falling on the city.
Guterres stated that even if Mariupol is destroyed, Ukraine can not be conquered street by street and house by house. This war is not winnable. It will eventually have to move from combat to peace.
He said, “It’s time to end this absurd warfare.”
Russia launched a “special military operations” to degrade Ukraine’s military infrastructure on February 24. Russia and its Western allies accuse Moscow of targeting civilians in indiscriminate attacks. Moscow denies attacking civilians.
Guterres stated that 10 million Ukranians fled their homes, and warned of the repercussions of war worldwide. “With skyrocketing food and energy prices and threatening to spiral into an international hunger crisis,” Guterres added.
Guterres stated, “There is enough to cease hostilities now…and seriously negotiate -now.”
