UNSC urges ceasefire, civilian evacuation in Ukraine
A draft text of a Russian UN Security Council resolution on Tuesday called for "negotiated ceasefire for enabling the rapid, safe, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of all civilians."
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Members of the Security Council sit during a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
A Russian UN Security Council decision demanded a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine in order to allow the safe evacuation of civilians, according to Tuesday's draft text of the resolution.
The draft text urged a "negotiated ceasefire for enabling the rapid, safe, voluntary and unhindered evacuation of all civilians" and shed the light on the need for the pertinent parties to agree on "humanitarian pauses" to this end.
The decision condemned all international humanitarian law and human rights breaches, including the Geneva Conventions. It also called for the respect and protection of all the medical and humanitarian staff who are exclusively engaged in medical duties.
Following the launch of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of demilitarizing and de-Nazifying the country, the UN Security Council has held several discussions about the ongoing situation.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's international organizations department, Pyotr Ilyichev, told Sputnik on Monday that a UN Security Council resolution could be needed to approve any agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia vetoes UNSC draft resolution on Ukraine
Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, vetoed in late February the UN Security Council's draft resolution against Russia.
The Russian envoy called the draft resolution unbalanced, noting that Russian forces are not bombing Ukrainian cities.
The UN Security Council had a session in order to pass a US-sponsored resolution condemning "the Russian attack on Ukraine," which was vetoed by Russia.
Moscow also thanked the Security Council members who did not vote for the draft resolution, and its envoy stressed that Russia condemns Ukrainian nationalists' use of "civilians as a human shield."
