Fifty UN member states, including Georgia, issued a joint statement strongly condemning the escalation of Russian strikes on Ukraine and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The authors of the statement declared that Russia has “reached a new, horrific level of aggression against Ukraine, further intensifying its strikes on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure.”
The document states that on the night of May 23–24, Russian forces launched one of the largest combined strikes on Ukraine since the start of the war, using hundreds of air attack weapons—ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones. Kyiv was one of the primary targets of the attack.
“For Kyiv, this was one of the most devastating strikes recorded to date. Serious damage was also inflicted on many other regions of Ukraine. Across Ukraine, numerous civilians were killed and wounded,” the statement reads.
The authors of the document also stated that Russia allegedly struck Bila Tserkva with an “Oreshnik” intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
“Russia’s repeated use of missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload represents an unacceptable escalation of the conflict,” the text emphasizes.
The participating countries condemned the attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population and critical infrastructure, calling them “serious violations of international humanitarian law,” and demanded an immediate end to such strikes.
Furthermore, the countries called for an “immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire,” the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of unlawfully detained persons, and the return of deported Ukrainian citizens, including children.
The statement also emphasizes that Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine violates the UN Charter and international law, while the attempted annexations of Ukrainian territories are described as illegal and having no legal effect.
Separately, the countries condemned the Russian Federation’s threats against diplomatic missions and embassies in Kyiv.
The statement was supported by representatives of Ukraine, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.