U.N. council backs chief ’s peace effort

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted its first statement on Ukraine since Russia’s military action began on Feb. 24, expressing “strong support” for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts to find a peaceful solution to the 10-week “dispute.”

The short presidential statement approved at a very brief council meeting Friday does not mention a “war,” “conflict” or “invasion” as many council members call Russia’s ongoing military action, or a “special military operation” as Moscow refers to it. That’s because Russia, which hold veto power in the council, has blocked all previous attempts to adopt a presidential statement which requires unanimity or a resolution.

Instead, the statement “expresses deep concern regarding the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” and “recalls that all member states have undertaken, under the Charter of the United Nations, the obligation to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.”

“The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the secretary-general in the search for a peaceful solution,” the statement says, and requests Guterres to brief members “in due course.”

During recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv, Guterres reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the evacuation of civilians, first and foremost from the besieged southeastern port city of Mauripol and the Azovstal steel plant, where the last Ukrainian forces are holding out along with hundreds of civilians in bunkers.

The U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross have carried out two evacuations from Mariupol and surrounding areas and are currently in Mariupol organizing a third evacuation from the steel plant.