The urgent meeting had been requested by Ukraine and its allied countries after Russia’s extensive attacks on Ukraine on Friday.
The UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday discussed the situation in Ukraine.
The urgent meeting had been requested by Ukraine and its allied countries after Russia’s extensive attacks on Ukraine on Friday.
The attacks killed at least 30 and injured more than 160 people, making the attack the deadliest of the war.
The Russian attacks were widely condemned
The airstrikes carried out by Russia were widely condemned at the meeting.
– Tragically, the year 2023 is ending as it began – with devastating violence against the people of Ukraine, said the UN Deputy Secretary General at the meeting Khaled Khiari.
Representatives of the United States, France and Britain condemned the attacks by Russia at the meeting.
– Instead of peace [Vladimir] Putin decided to mark the Christmas season and head into the new year with an unprecedented number of drone and missile strikes against another UN member state, said the US representative John Kelley.
China did not condemn the attacks, but demanded a “political solution” to the war.
Russia accused Ukraine of civilian casualties
Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vasili Nebenzja claimed in his speech that the country had only targeted military targets, and blamed the civilian casualties on the abuse of Ukrainian air defenses.
British Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward replied to Nebenzja that Russia was the only one to blame for the casualties.
– Everything else is a flurry of lies and disinformation.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the attacks, his spokesman said in a press release Stephane Dujarric.
– Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, they are not acceptable and must stop immediately.
Sources: AFP, Reuters