By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately agree to a humanitarian ceasefire to allow for the parties to negotiate an end to the month-long conflict.
Guterres said he is tasking Martin Griffiths, his humanitarian affairs coordinator, to work with Kyiv and Moscow on laying the groundwork for a ceasefire as Russia's war continues to lead to the "senseless loss" of thousands of lives, and the "systematic destruction of essential infrastructure and skyrocketing food and energy prices worldwide."
"This must stop," he told reporters at the UN's New York headquarters. "I strongly appeal to the parties to this conflict and to the international community as a whole, to work with us for peace, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and across the world."
Russia’s war on Ukraine has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and the UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
At least 1,151 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,842 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.
More than 3.87 million Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency