“We need peace now.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for peace during a special General Assembly meeting on the situation in Ukraine
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The fighting in Ukraine must stop.
It is raging across the country, from air, land and sea.
It must stop now.
Escalating violence — which is resulting in civilian deaths, including children — is totally unacceptable.
Enough is enough.
We face what could easily become Europe’s worst humanitarian and refugee crisis in decades, with the numbers of refugees and internally displaced multiplying by the minute.
I am grateful for the compassion, generosity and solidarity of Ukraine’s neighbors who are taking in those seeking safety.
It is important that this solidarity is extended without any discrimination based on race, religion or ethnicity.
The neighboring countries will need all our support in the days and weeks to come. The United Nations will continue to assist with these efforts.
We are fully committed to staying and delivering for everyone affected by this deadly conflict across the country.
Humanitarian aid is vital. But it is not a solution. It is simply treating the worst impacts of the conflict.
The only true solution is peace.
The attack on Ukraine challenges international law and the multilateral system rooted in the UN Charter.
Some of the possible consequences of a worsening conflict are terrifying to contemplate.
War is not the answer.
It is death, human suffering, senseless destruction and an immense distraction from the real challenges facing humanity.
We need peace now.
António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations
Read his full remarks to the Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, 28 February 2022
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UN General Assembly holds emergency special session on Ukraine
