Ukraine: Hopes for peace on life support, Security Council hears

This article is published in association with United Nations.

A glimmer of hope for peace in Ukraine has been overshadowed by a devastating new wave of Russian attacks, UN officials told the Security Council on Thursday, warning of soaring civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis that could derail a diplomatic end to the war.

“The longer the war continues, the longer its regional and global impacts will be felt, and the more difficult it will be to find a peaceful resolution,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

She recalled the adoption of Security Council resolution 2774 in February – the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which sparked a sense of optimism for a diplomatic solution.  

That has since been replaced by a sense of international frustration – and more suffering in Ukraine following the surge in attacks.

“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” Ms. DiCarlo warned.

Rising civilian toll

Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo briefing the Security Council.

The weekend’s escalation has been described as the largest wave of attacks, with record numbers of long-range missiles and drones killing and injuring dozens of civilians and damaging homes and infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and other cities.

Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nine civilians were killed and 117 injured by Ukrainian strikes between 19 and 25 May, with a further 17 civilians killed and over 100 injured the week before.

“The United Nations is not able to verify these reports. However, if confirmed, these figures serve as a vivid reminder of the rising civilian toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most egregiously in Ukraine, but also increasingly in the Russian Federation itself,” Ms. DiCarlo said.

International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, she stressed.

“They are unacceptable and indefensible – wherever they occur – and must stop immediately.”

‘Every delay costs lives’

OCHA Director Doughten briefing the Security Council.

Lisa Doughten, Director for Financing at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a dire picture on the ground.  

Over 5,000 people – mostly from Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy regions – were newly displaced in the past week alone, adding to the 3.7 million already displaced across Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas remain largely cut off from humanitarian assistance.

Despite escalating challenges, humanitarian organizations – many of them local NGOs – continue to deliver food, water, hygiene kits and protection services.  

However, only a quarter of the $2.6 billion needed for the 2025 humanitarian response plan has been funded, leaving aid workers struggling to meet rising needs.

“Every delay costs lives. Every dollar helps us reach the next family under fire with aid, educate the next child out of school, help evacuate people with disabilities, and sustain water in front-line communities,” Ms. Doughten said.

“The needs do not shrink. And so, our resolve cannot falter.”

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

A wideview of the Security Council meeting as members discuss the situation in Ukraine

The war is a strategic mistake: US

Sanctions for Russia are “still on the table” if they make the “wrong decision” to continue the catastrophic war against Ukraine, the representative of the United States, John Kelley, told ambassadors.

“President [Donald] Trump has emphasised from the beginning that this war was a strategic mistake and should never have happened; time is not on the side of any who would prolong it,” Mr. Kelley said.

The US also condemned Russia’s decision to launch record numbers of long-range missiles and drones against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine this past weekend.

Mr. Kelley noted that if Russia makes the “wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war,” the United States may be forced to end their negotiation efforts.

“To be clear, in doing so, we would not be ‘abandoning’ our principles or our friends. Rather, we would be recognising Russia’s refusal to work with us toward a desirable outcome,” he said.

Mr. Kelley also referenced President Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 May, saying that the US is expecting a “term sheet” which will outline a Russian ceasefire proposal.

“We will judge Russia’s seriousness towards ending the war not only by the contents of that term sheet, but more importantly, by Russia’s actions,” Mr. Kelley said.

Ukraine trying to derail peace: Russia

Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the Ukrainian Government of attempting to “deceive and mislead” President Donald Trump in order to push the US away from its central role brokering negotiations.

“As long as the spectre of the ‘Russian threat’ persists, [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s clique can avoid accountability for embezzled budget funds and Western – primarily American – aid, which now totals tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars,” Mr. Nebenzya said.

“Even their partners in Europe and the [Joe] Biden administration, who have also profited greatly from the conflict in Ukraine, are starting to grow weary of this.”

Regarding allegations that Russia is targeting civilians in Ukraine, he claimed the casualties are the result of Ukrainian air defense systems being “positioned near residential buildings and public infrastructure in violation of basic international humanitarian law.”

He stated that the true targets of Russian strikes are military-industrial sites, citing the destruction of ammunition depots and other weapons facilities in various Ukrainian regions.

Ukraine open to talks that ‘yield tangible results’

Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, said that the international community must increase pressure on Russia, including through sanctions, to end the “diplomatic stalemate” for which she squarely blamed Russia.

“Ukraine did not initiate this war, nor do we desire its continuation,” Ms. Hayovyshyn said.

She noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky remains willing to meet President Vladimir Putin at any point for direct talks, but that the Russian President has not made himself available – including failing to attend the negotiations in Türkiye where Mr. Zelensky was present.

“We are not afraid of talks,” she said. “We are for constructive talks.”

Ms. Hayovyshyn said that “only positive result” of the meeting in Türikye was the agreement from both Russia and Ukraine to each release 1,000 prisoners of war.

But she reiterated that Ukraine would not compromise on its territorial integrity or sovereignty when negotiating for peace.

“Achieving peace at any cost will not end the war. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace must rest on a fundamental respect towards non-negotiable principles,” she said.