The UN Security Council must move beyond diplomatic statements to concrete action, including adopting resolutions demanding that Russia end its aggression against Ukraine, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, said ahead of an emergency Security Council meeting requested by Kyiv for Friday.
"The Security Council must fulfil its mandate under the UN Charter. It must move from discussions to resolutions demanding that Russia end its barbaric war of aggression, stop shelling Ukrainian civilians and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory," Melnyk said.
He noted that the meeting would focus on "a new dimension of Russian barbarism against Ukraine."
Melnyk thanked Greece, which holds the Security Council presidency in October, for promptly supporting Ukraine's initiative and convening the meeting just one day after Kyiv's request.
According to the diplomat, some of Ukraine's partners still believe that holding a routine monthly Security Council meeting on Russia's war is sufficient before moving on to other agenda items.
"Russia, constantly raising the stakes in its war of aggression and crossing the last remaining red lines, is seeking to reach a new, unprecedented level of barbarism in its attacks on civilians," Melnyk said.
He warned that the Kremlin was counting on even this unprecedented level of brutality and terror gradually becoming normalised.
According to Melnyk, Moscow expects that regardless of the number of casualties caused by Russian strikes, the international community will, at best, merely record another crime and respond with helpless resignation.
For this reason, Ukraine will continue demanding urgent UN Security Council meetings to prevent what Melnyk described as the Kremlin's dangerous scenario.
He called on Ukraine's partners, particularly current Security Council members, to move beyond "the usual well-worded speeches and diplomatic appeals to concrete action" and adopt resolutions demanding an end to Russia's aggression, attacks on civilians and military presence on Ukrainian territory.
The UN Security Council meeting is scheduled for Friday at 3:00 p.m. New York time (10:00 p.m. Kyiv time).
