Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 13th Feb. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Miroslav Jenča on Monday voiced deep concern over the escalatory trajectory of Ukraine- Russia war with intensifying attacks on civilians as the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches.
Miroslav Jenča, warned that the fighting risked “further diminishing the prospects for a just and lasting solution”.
He told council members in his briefing “The approaching anniversary of the invasion is not only an occasion to recount the horrors of the past two years, but also a reminder that the armed conflict in Ukraine did not begin on 24 February 2022, but has been ongoing in the country’s east since 2014.”
“The United Nations has been, and will remain, fully committed to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he added.
Mr. Jenča noted that though the UN was not formally part of any mechanism related to the peace process in Ukraine, over the years it had expressed “full support” to all diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
He underscored the need for peace processes to address the root causes of the conflict.
“What we know is that peace agreements alone will not end violence. Peace processes must address the root causes of the conflict and come with full and equal participation of women and youth, and inclusion of civil society voices,” he said.
“What we need for Ukraine, for the region and the world, is a just, lasting and comprehensive peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the resolutions of the General Assembly,” he added.
OCHA reported that hostilities continued through the weekend and into Monday.
On 10 February, evening strikes in Kharkiv city in the east led to a massive fire at an oil depot. The fire spread to homes nearby and local authorities reported more than 50 casualties. The fire also impacted the electricity supply in the area.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told correspondents at the regular briefing in New York that “Humanitarian partners are mobilized and distributing hot meals and materials for urgent repairs. They are also providing mental health and psychosocial support at the site of the attack”.
According to Ukraine’s main energy company the damage to energy facilities has been reported by the state energy provider in the Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, he added.
He noted that 386 towns and villages across the country remain without electricity due to the impact of hostilities.
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