United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes that the war in Ukraine unleashed by the aggressor country Russia risks getting out of control. He said this during a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York; the video was published by the organization’s press service.
Guterres pointed to the intensification of Russian strikes, mentioning the massive shelling of Ukraine on May 23-24, as well as the prospect of new strikes amid Russian threats. He noted that since February 2022, when the occupiers launched a full-scale invasion, more than 15 thousand civilians have been killed in Ukraine, almost 800 of them are children. Aid workers are under attack and serious violations of international humanitarian law continue. According to the UN Secretary General, the number of victims is only growing: in four months of 2026, more civilians died in Ukraine than in the same period in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
“The front line is effectively frozen. Swarms of drones are causing serious casualties. Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed on a huge scale, especially energy facilities. This could continue indefinitely. However, the course of the war, the escalation and increase in brutality that we are seeing, can get out of control. The risk of miscalculations, the risk of escalation with unknown and unpredictable consequences,” Guterres emphasized.
He said the current trajectory is unsustainable and must change and the killings must stop.
“What is needed now is de-escalation, urgent and sustainable. A complete and unconditional ceasefire is needed. More diplomatic efforts are needed,” the UN Secretary General concluded.
