Guterres says UN is ready to support a ‘just peace’ in Ukraine

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has offered the United Nations’ support for a “just peace” to end the war in Ukraine.

He also made it clear that a ceasefire must lead to a solution that respects international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

“The day we abdicate about defending international law, we are paving the way for chaos all over the world,” Guterres warned in Berlin on Wednesday.

Speaking at the conclusion of a conference on the reform of peacekeeping missions, he added that the UN “is ready to provide whatever support the parties, if the parties agree, would ask the UN to do.”

If a ceasefire and a peace solution could then be confirmed by the UN Security Council, that would be “a major step forward.”

Meanwhile, it remained unclear when exactly and in what format possible talks in Istanbul would take place.

Guterres made his comments at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Both jointly pledged an additional €82 million ($91 million) for UN peacekeeping missions.

At Germany’s invitation, representatives from more than 130 countries gathered at the Foreign Office to pledge concrete contributions and put UN peacekeeping missions on a solid footing.

Guterres emphasized the need for reforms in UN missions and pointed to some significant financial problems. He said, “it is absolutely essential that all member states respect their financial obligations, paying their contributions in full and on time.”