UN chief says time to end Russia's 'absurd war' in Ukraine
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking on the Russia-Ukraine conflict in New York City on Feb 28, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
UNITED NATIONS (REUTERS) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday (March 22) urged an end to the "absurd war" started by Russia's invasion of Ukraine one month ago, warning that the conflict is "going nowhere, fast" and that the Ukrainian people are "enduring a living hell".
Russia is pounding the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol into the “ashes of a dead land”, its local council said on Tuesday, describing two more huge bombs that fell on the city that has been sealed off for weeks.
“Even if Mariupol falls, Ukraine cannot be conquered city by city, street by street, house by house,” said Mr Guterres.
“This war is unwinnable. Sooner or later, it will have to move from the battlefield to the peace table.”
He added: “It is time to end this absurd war.”
Russia launched what it calls a “special military operation” on Feb 24 to destroy Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Moscow of attacking civilians indiscriminately.
Moscow denies attacking civilians.
Mr Guterres said about 10 million Ukranians have fled from their homes and warned the reverberations of war were being felt globally “with skyrocketing food, energy and fertiliser prices threatening to spiral into a global hunger crisis".
“There is enough on the table to cease hostilities – now... and seriously negotiate – now,” he said.