Latvia was elected on June 3 to the UN Security Council for the first time in its history. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže called it a “historic day" for the Baltic nation, pledging the country’s commitment to upholding the rules-based international order.
Illegal arms transfers "contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," according to a report from the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.
Moscow requested a meeting of the U.N. Security Council over Europe's alleged "threats to international peace and security," Russia's U.N. envoy, Dmitry Polyansky, said on May 27, only a day after Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine.
In the interim, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take on the role of national security adviser while continuing to lead the State Department.
"At today's Security Council meeting, we urge members to express their strong support for Ukraine's steps toward peace, clearly condemn Russia's escalated terror against civilians, and take a principled stance on the need to put more pressure on Moscow," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced to Reuters on April 26 that it has had to scale back support for newly displaced Ukrainians due to significant funding losses.
"Crimea is the homeland of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and an integral part of Ukraine. Accordingly, no one can decide the fate of Crimea under any circumstances, except for the Ukrainian state and the Crimean Tatar people," said Refat Chubarov.
Russia was the first to declare an Easter ceasefire starting at 6 p.m. local time on April 19 and ending at midnight on April 21. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of nearly 3,000 ceasefire breaches during that period.
Iran filed a case at the International Court of Justice on April 17, seeking to overturn a ruling by the International Civil Aviation Organization that held Tehran responsible for the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger jet.
"Under the current circumstances, it is simply unrealistic to talk about a (full) ceasefire at this stage," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said.
Jonathan Shrier, acting U.S. representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, said Washington opposed the resolution because of repeated statements about the war in Ukraine that the U.S. considers “unhelpful in advancing the cause of peace.”
The proposed cuts for the next fiscal year would reportedly leave $28.4 billion for all State Department activities, a 48% reduction from the 2025 budget approved by Congress.
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed new ambassadors to seven countries on April 7. The appointments include Andriy Kostin, Ukraine's former Prosecutor General, who resigned in October 2024 amid a major corruption scandal.
"It’s an unimaginable horror — nine children killed, most while playing in a park, as a military weapon exploded into shrapnel above them," Türk said in a statement released by the UN.
"The list of violations cited by [Defense Minister] Andrei Belousov at the Security Council meeting, we handed over to U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
The international community, including the U.N. and "individual countries," will be involved in the U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war against Ukraine, Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin told state-owned news agency TASS on March 25.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, in partnership with the European Union (EU), has launched an interactive online exhibition titled “Moments Before,” offering an in-depth look into the work of Ukraine’s first responders and police officers amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The exhibition features contributions
Both NATO and the U.N. were founded by the U.S. and other victors of World War II to promote diplomacy and cooperation between nations as well as to prevent another global war.
The Slovak National Party has demanded that Prime Minister Robert Fico immediately apologize for supporting a UN resolution condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Czech news outlet Denik N reported on Feb. 25.
"We didn't feel it was conducive, frankly, to have something out there at the UN that’s antagonistic to either side," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
The required reconstruction costs are 2.8 times higher than Ukraine's nominal GDP for 2024, according to a new report.
"I apologize to the citizens of Serbia for that, and I take the blame for that because I was probably tired and overwhelmed," Aleksandar Vucic said.
The UN General Assembly approved a Ukrainian resolution on Feb. 24 condemning Russia's full-scale invasion, with 93 countries voting in favor and 18 against. The U.S., Israel, Hungary, Russia, and Belarus have voted against the resolution.
The U.S. version of the resolution, dubbed as the "Path to Peace," is aimed at ending the war, Suspilne reported. The draft reportedly does not name Russia the aggressor, but calls for "an immediate end to the conflict."
The new U.S. resolution mourns the casualties of the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and "implores a swift end" to hostilities, according to a draft obtained by Reuters.
"In previous years, the United States has consistently co-sponsored such resolutions in support of a just peace in Ukraine," a source told Reuters.
Russia’s Justice Ministry declared the Register of Damage Caused by Russian Aggression against Ukraine an "undesirable organization" on Feb. 7.
U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Feb. 4 that the United States will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council and extend a freeze on funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, a White House official told Reuters.
Key developments on Feb. 3: * Trump seeks Ukrainian rare earths in exchange for aid, Kyiv keen to agree * Kursk operation, long-range strikes in Russia — Syrskyi outlines Ukraine's priorities * Ukraine's laser technologies 'already hit certain objects,' commander says * Biden admin's escalation fears, 'chaotic' organization delayed aid to Ukraine, Reuters reports
According to Danielle Bell, the head of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Russian public figures have explicitly called for the inhumane treatment and execution of Ukrainian POWs.
"As long as this horrific war continues, the IAEA will remain present and stay active, focused on doing everything we can to support nuclear safety and security in extremely challenging circumstances," Director General Rafael Grossi said.
"It's not merely the question of ending the war ... So we have to see what does the 'deal' mean in President Trump's understanding," Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said in response to Trump's call for Moscow to make a deal or face sanctions.
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