UN chief laments ‘sad and tragic’ six-month milestone in Ukraine war

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday described the six-month anniversary of Russia’s start of the war in Ukraine as a “sad and tragic milestone”.

Guterres was speaking during a special session of the UN Security Council in New York to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor on February 24.

The UN chief described the six-month conflict as “devastating”.

“The consequences of this senseless war are being felt far beyond Ukraine,” Guterres said, citing the impact on food and fuel prices.

“If we don’t stabilize the fertilizer market in 2022, there simply won’t be enough food in 2023,” the Secretary-General warned.

Guterres said he remained “deeply concerned” about military activity around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

“The warning lights are flashing,” he said.

“Any further escalation of the situation could lead to self-destruction. The security of the facility must be ensured and the facility rebuilt as a purely civilian infrastructure,” he added.

The plant is occupied by Russian troops and threatened with shelling, for which Moscow blames Kyiv.

Addressing the meeting via video link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN that Russia should “stop nuclear blackmail unconditionally” and withdraw “completely” from the power plant.

“Europe and neighboring regions face the threat of radiation exposure. That’s a fact,” Zelenskyy said at the meeting requested by the United States, France and Britain.

Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, objected to Zelenskyy’s permission to speak.

He said he was not opposed to the Ukrainian leader’s participation but to the fact that he was not present in person.

The 15-member council voted 13-1 to give Zelenskyy the floor, with China abstaining.