UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Wednesday as the General Assembly met in a special session two days before the anniversary of Moscow’s attack.<\/p>\n
“That invasion is an affront to our collective conscience,” Guterres said, calling the anniversary “a grim milestone for the people of Ukraine and for the international community.”<\/p>\n
As fighting raged on in Ukraine, the General Assembly began debating a motion backed by Kyiv and its allies calling for a “just and lasting peace.”<\/p>\n
While the measure is not as tough as Ukraine would like, it is hoping that a large majority of UN states will back the non-binding resolution to demonstrate Kyiv has the support of the global community.<\/p>\n
Dozens of countries have sponsored the resolution, which stresses “the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”<\/p>\n
It reaffirms the UN’s “commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine” and calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities.<\/p>\n