UNITED NATIONS, Nov 10 (APP):Amid a dangerous escalation of hostilities and fresh waves of military strikes, Pakistan on Monday delivered a vital appeal to the UN Security Council, demanding an immediate de-escalation and robust ceasefire in the nearly four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.
“We are deeply concerned by the continued escalation in fighting and the resulting harm to civilians, and civilian infrastructure,” Ambassador Syed Haider Ali Shah, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council during a briefing on Ukraine that followed Russian attacks on Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk on Oct. 29, killing at least 19 people and injured more than 50.
Requested by Ukraine and supported by the Council’s five European members, the meeting was chaired by Latvia’s Foreign Minister, Baiba Braze.
In his remarks, the Pakistan envoy underscored the urgent need for an “immediate and robust” ceasefire to pause active hostilities, rebuild trust, and pave the way for a mutually acceptable, peaceful political settlement.
“The pursuit of a military solution only risks further escalation and prolongs the suffering of those affected by this conflict,” he said, adding that the ongoing humanitarian fallout, coupled with cascading shocks to global food and energy markets, continues to disproportionately harm developing countries well beyond the immediate European theatre.
“The scenes witnessed recently in Oleshky, however, reinforce the fact that real, and tangible and meaningful progress can only be achieved through dialogue and cooperation,” Ambassador Haider Shah said.
“We call upon both parties to desist from further expanding the conflict, de-escalate, scrupulously abide by International Law and International Humanitarian Law obligations and recommit to dialogue to bring an early end to this conflict,” the Pakistani envoy said, pointing out that continued military escalation and battlefield expansion only entrench mistrust, shrink diplomatic options, and deepen the suffering of innocent populations.
Pakistan, he said, welcomed the reports of working-level diplomatic meetings between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi and encouraged both parties to engage in earnest, structured dialogue. Any durable peace must align firmly with the principles of the UN Charter and international law while balancing and addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties involved.
Briefing the Security Council, Mohamed Yahya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, warned that “winter is no longer a distant threat” as Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure cause prolonged power and water outages affecting millions.
With temperatures falling, hospitals and other essential services face mounting pressure. Although humanitarian organizations are providing emergency assistance under a winter response plan targeting more than 2 million people, he stressed that aid “cannot replace an electricity grid repeatedly destroyed by attacks”.
Welcoming the humanitarian ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Yahya said the temporary pause allowed roads to be cleared, supplies to move and civilians to evacuate.
The arrangement also enabled humanitarian teams to reach previously inaccessible communities in Government-controlled areas of Kherson, demonstrating that “practical humanitarian arrangements can be agreed and implemented, even amid intense hostilities”.
“We cannot allow Oleshky to remain an isolated opening”, the UN official stressed, urging protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access and safe passage for those fleeing hostilities.
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