Pakistan urges urgent ceasefire in Russia-Ukraine conflict & ‘structured’ peace talks

UNITED NATIONS: As the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its fifth year, Pakistan has called for an immediate ceasefire and the early resumption of peace negotiations, emphasizing that no military solution exists.

” A just and lasting peace can only be achieved through sustained, structured, and meaningful dialogue,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar  Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council.

Speaking in a debate on the situation in Ukraine, he reminded that Pakistan has stood on the side of dialogue and diplomacy from the very first days of this conflict, which has “exacted a heavy cast on all those affected – peoples, their livelihoods, economies, countries, entire regions and beyond.”

“Its prolonged nature has deepened divisions, strained multilateralism and complicated efforts toward a peaceful resolution”, the Pakistani envoy added.

Monday’s meeting of the Security Council’s meeting was presided over by Christopher Landau, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States, which holds the presidency of  the 15-member body for the month of March.

In his remarks, Ambassador Asim Ahmed said that civilians continue to bear the burnt of hostilities, with loss of life, displacement, and destruction of homes and infrastructure. “The continued human suffering underscores the urgent need to uphold human dignity, ensure protection of civilians, and prioritize a peaceful settlement of this conflict.”

Regrettably, he said, the unfolding of another totally avoidable crisis in the Middle East has also impacted the negotiations process on Ukraine.

“We, however, hope that the next round of these negotiations would take place at the earliest, and that all parties would continue their efforts for peace, demonstrate genuine political will, build mutual understanding and engage constructively to achieve a negotiated settlement of the conflict, beginning with an immediate cessation of hostilities,” the Pakistani envoy added

“Bringing a lasting peace would require firm commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and a focus on finding a mutually acceptable solution that corresponds to the respective positions and legitimate security interests of all sides.”

Pakistan, he said,  will continue to support all initiatives aimed at bridging the divides and promoting pacific settlement of the conflicts, globally, in Ukraine or elsewhere always upholding international law and in full respect of the UN Charter principles.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said, “Civilian casualties in Ukraine far exceed levels this time last year.”

Civilians continue to face waves of drone and missile strikes, destroying homes, schools and hospitals.  As hostilities intensify along front-line areas, entire communities are being forced to flee.

“For children, this means missed schooling, prolonged stress and fear, and separation from loved ones,” Fletcher explained.

Meanwhile, strikes on energy and other vital infrastructure are cutting civilians off from the basics of survival.

“These attacks reflect a sustained pattern of damage to the systems on which civilians depend to survive,” he stressed.

“The damage builds – quietly but relentlessly – alongside the visible destruction.”

Fletcher urged the Council to insist on the protection of civilians and the essential infrastructure on which they rely; to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need. APP