UNITED NATIONS, Oct 12 (DNA): At a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, Pakistan delivered a sharp, urgent appeal demanding an immediate de-escalation and a robust ceasefire to halt the devastating four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.
Speaking in the wake of a new wave of Russian air strikes targeting Ukrainian civilian centers and critical infrastructure, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, warned that continued military expansion is pushing the prospects for peace out of reach and severely destabilizing global commodity security.
“The intensification in fighting presently being witnessed does not portend well for the region and the wider neighbourhood,” he told the 15-member Council, which met at the request of Ukraine.
“Such actions further strain the already fledgeling global food and energy crisis, with repercussions felt far beyond the conflict zone, especially in the developing countries,” the Pakistani envoy added.
At the outset, Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General in the Departments of Political and Peace building Affairs and Peace Operations, warned that Russian attacks have reached “a new horrifying level”, with over 100 civilians killed and at least 429 injured this week alone, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon emphasized that military means cannot deliver an enduring peace. He cautioned that continuing down a path of warfare only deepens divisions, prolongs human suffering, and shrinks the political space required for a sustainable settlement.
Highlighting cross-regional consequences, he voiced sharp concerns over recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy warned that widening the theater of war to trade routes poses catastrophic risks to the wider neighborhood and regional stability.
He urged both parties — Russia and Ukraine — to immediately exercise restraint and scrupulously respect international law and the UN Charter.
Pakistan, he said, welcomed reports of a potential trilateral meeting involving Russia and Ukraine facilitated by the United States, underscoring that a robust ceasefire would allow both nations to bridge differences.
“We value the efforts by the U.S. and its leadership to bring this conflict to an end.”
In conclusion, Ambassador Jadoon said, Pakistan supported a comprehensive, durable, and peaceful settlement that simultaneously upholds UN Charter principles and addresses the legitimate security concerns of all involved sides.
