Putin attacked Ukraine minutes after UN peace plea

February 24, 2022 11:28

A military vehicle on a street on the outskirts city of Donetsk. Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko

Just as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was making an appeal in the Security Council to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop your troops from attacking Ukraine and other Council members calling for de-escalation, restraint and diplomacy, the Russian leader announced the launch of a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

Guterres, who opened an emergency meeting of the 15-nation Security Council on Ukraine late Wednesday, in his brief off-the-cuff remarks said, "if indeed an operation is being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart: President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died."

Just minutes after Guterres' remarks in the Security Council, Putin announced the launch of a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

As the other Council Members, including India, spoke at the emergency meeting calling for restraint and de-escalation, there were reports of large explosions and artillery fire being heard in eastern Ukraine.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti was the eighth speaker at the Council meeting after Guterres, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Albania, US, UK, France and Ireland and his remarks came just minutes after Putin's announcement of the military operation.

Tirumurti told the Council that New Delhi had only two days ago at the Council meeting on Ukraine called for urgent de-escalation of tensions and emphasised on sustained and focused diplomacy to address all issues concerning the situation.

"However, we note with regret, that the calls of the international community to give time to the recent initiatives undertaken by parties to diffuse tensions were not heeded to. The situation is in danger of spiraling into a major crisis, he said. -- PTI

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