New York, 23 February 2022 (TDI): During a press conference on Ukraine, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) stated that his journey to Africa was cut short so that he could return to the office at the United Nations.
It is the worst global peace and security crisis since he became the UN Secretary-General. He said that he had prayed that this day would never arrive, but it has and he was worried when he heard about more ceasefire violations across the Ukrainian contact line, as well as the real risk of more violence.
In his thoughts and prayers were all of those who have already been impacted by the devastation, death, and displacement caused by this calamity. This is what happened when Russia said that parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions should be their own separate states.
This is a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taking a unilateral action against international law is against the United Nations Charter and what is called the “Friendly Relations Declaration of the General Assembly,” both of which the International Court of Justice has always found to be international law and which the court has always found to be true.
I am deeply troubled by the latest developments regarding Ukraine.
At this critical moment, I call for an immediate ceasefire & re-establishment of the rule of law.
We need restraint & reason.
We need de-escalation now. pic.twitter.com/6hnprCkAQM
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 22, 2022
The Security Council’s approval of the Minsk Agreements is also in doubt. The UN Charter’s tenets cannot be ordered from a menu. It is not possible to employ them selectively.
All of them have been agreed upon by member states, and they must now be implemented. The Secretary-General stated that he is worried about how the idea of peacekeeping is being distorted so much that it’s hard to tell what it is anymore.
Many people have put their lives in danger to safeguard civilians in UN peacekeeping deployments. If they invade another country’s territory without permission, they are not impartial peacekeepers. They aren’t even UN peacekeepers.
I am concerned about the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping.
When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers.
They are not peacekeepers at all.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 23, 2022
There have been many decisions made by the Security Council and the General Assembly over the last few years that support Ukraine’s sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity in its internationally recognized borders. The United Nations fully supports these things.
Humanitarian activities and human rights efforts continue to aid the Ukrainian people. A ceasefire and the return of the rule of law are very important at this very important time. We must exercise restraint and logic. The time has come to de-escalate.
The Secretary-General begged not to do or say anything that could make this situation even more dangerous. Talking and negotiating should become the norm once more.
I cut short my trip to Africa so I could return to the UN. My time as UN Secretary-General has not seen a global peace and security crisis like this
He said that by tackling this issue as a group, the people of Ukraine and the rest of the globe can be spared from the scourge of war. This problem must be resolved without further bloodshed, and he will do all in his power to make that happen.
For the hundredth time, he said that he would ensure his help. The UN will not give up on finding a peaceful solution. The United Nations and the rest of the international system are putting the world to the test, and it must succeed.
