UAE's UN envoy urges leaders to end Russia-Ukraine war

Lana Nusseibeh calls for 'negotiated settlement' to conflict

The Russia-Ukraine conflict 'should end now', Lana Nusseibeh told the United Nations Security Council. UN

The UAE's envoy to the UN has urged leaders from Russia and Ukraine to bring an end to the conflict between their countries.

Lana Nusseibeh, assistant minister for political affairs and the UAE's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, told a Security Council briefing on Wednesday that "the war will only end through a negotiated settlement".

Ms Nusseibeh said one third of Ukrainians had been displaced from their homes, with 6.6 million seeking refuge across Europe.

She said the conflict exacerbated food shortages and led to a rise in the price of commodities, "both of which add to the daily hardship suffered by hundreds of millions of people around the world".

"The UAE strongly applauds the agreements brokered with the support of the Secretary General and the Republic of Turkiye to facilitate the export of grain, food supplies and fertilisers to global markets," she said.

"This rare example of tangible progress cannot, however, be the last. It must incentivise more concerted efforts to mitigate the impact of this conflict on the lives of those most in need, and hopefully ensure that we are not here six months from now marking a year of conflict and further global disruption."

Wednesday marked six months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The war has so far killed 5,800 civilians, including 972 children, the latest UN figures estimate.

August 24 was also Ukraine’s 31st Independence Day.

Shared responsibility

Ms Nusseibeh said the UN Charter provided the tools to address the peaceful settlement of disputes, but that this was futile without political will.

"In turn, this requires us — all of us — to recognise that the war will only end through a negotiated settlement and that all wars must eventually end as they have done countless times in human history," she said.

"There is value in the council’s meetings on Ukraine when they are complemented with action laser-focused on alleviating the suffering of civilians and finding a political path to this war’s end.

"We cannot change the past but what happens next is a responsibility we all share."

Ms Nusseibeh said agreements on agricultural exports and support for the International Atomic Energy Agency to send a mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "could unlock broader political discussions".

"We need to work hard to preserve and expand these windows towards viable diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalation and resolution," she said.

She said a peaceful, sustainable resolution relied on the UN Charter and international law as guiding principles.

"Six months in, our call for a cessation of hostilities throughout Ukraine is as relevant as it has ever been," she said.

"We cannot become inured to this war. The stakes are too high; every life is too precious.

"The conflict should end now and we need to see leaders from both sides commit to charting that difficult path forward with all of our support."

Ukraine Independence Day - in pictures

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  A young girl displays some patriotism during an event in central Brussels for Ukrainian Independence Day, which arrive six months to the day since Russia's invasion. AP

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  A giant sculpture of a defiant hand with fingernails painted in the colours of Ukraine stands outside the Russian embassy in Prague, Czech Republic. AFP

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  A woman visits the tomb of her relative, a Ukrainian serviceman who was killed in a fight against Russian troops, in Lviv. Reuters

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  A vast Ukrainian flag is unfurled on Independence Day in the historical Grand Place of Brussels. AP

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  Russian tanks that were captured by the Ukrainian army are displayed on Khreshchatyk on Independence Day in central Kyiv. EPA

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  A march on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, south-eastern France. AFP

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  Ukrainians young and old gather at Circular Quay in Sydney. Getty Images

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  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena attend a commemoration ceremony in Kyiv. AFP

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  Ukrainians and supporters in Sydney marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of 1991, which ended Soviet rule. Getty Images

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  The main square in Kyiv has been turned into an open-air military museum for Ukrainian Independence Day. AFP

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  Destroyed Russian military vehicles installed in central Kyiv, where authorities have banned mass gatherings in the capital for fear of Russian missile attacks. AP

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  Larry the cat stands under a floral display to mark Ukraine's Independence Day outside No 10 Downing Street, central London. Reuters

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  Ukrainians take part in a demonstration in the lead-up to Independence Day and six months since the Russian invasion began, in Valletta, Malta. Reuters

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  The Academy Symphony Orchestra of the Luhansk Regional Philharmonic performs during a charity concert in support of the armed forces of Ukraine, in Lviv. Getty Images

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  Central Kyiv is full of reminders of the continuing war on Independence Day. AFP

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  Ukrainian and American flags raised on a street in New York to mark the occasion. AFP

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  Dynamo Kyiv players wrapped in Ukrainian national flags before their second-leg Champions League play-off match against Benfica in Lisbon. EPA

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  The Triton Fountain in Valletta is lit in Ukrainian colours. Reuters

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  Ukrainians show support in the Maltese capital. Reuters

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  'The Train to Victory', sitting at Kyiv railway station, consists of seven carriages painted by Ukrainian artists, each dedicated to the occupied territories of Ukraine. The train was to arrive in the western city of Uzhgorod on Independence Day. EPA

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  Support for Ukraine in Zagreb, Croatia. AFP

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  People arriving on Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv, where events to mark Ukraine's Independence Day are being held. Getty Images