Russia Ukraine: UN Secretary-General calls for unconditional ceasefire
In view of Russia's unabated violent attacks on Ukraine, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
01.07.2025, 05:02
SDA
This would be a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace, he said during talks with the Ukrainian head of government Denys Shmyhal in Seville. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his video message that Russia was preparing for the continuation of the war and was focusing in particular on stepping up drone attacks.
Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for more than three years. The negotiations initiated by the US administration under President Donald Trump are barely getting off the ground. Moscow rejects an unconditional ceasefire. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin recently said that Ukrainians and Russians are one people, which is why the whole of Ukraine actually belongs to Russia.
According to Ukrainian figures, Russia fired more than 500 drones, missiles and cruise missiles at the country on Sunday night alone. The number of 537 such attacks is the highest since the start of the war. There were again casualties and serious damage to civilian infrastructure.
Guterres: UN support for possible reconstruction
Guterres also promised Ukraine support for possible reconstruction. According to a spokesperson for Guterres, Guterres had pointed out to Shmyhal that the United Nations was committed to supporting the efforts of the Ukrainian government to deal with the humanitarian, reconstruction and rehabilitation needs. The UN chief and Shmyhal had met at the fourth UN Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, southern Spain.
Selenskyj: Putin is not striving for peace
In his video message, Zelensky emphasized that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is not striving for peace. He is deliberately delaying and sabotaging the negotiations. Russia is investing in the drone sector and plans to increase the number of drones used in attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine must arm itself accordingly in this area, demanded Selensky.
Russian governor reports capture of Ukrainian Luhansk
According to the occupation authorities, Russia has completely conquered the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk. The report of the complete conquest came two days ago, said the governor of the region appointed by Moscow, Leonid Passetschnik, on Russian state television. So far there has been no confirmation of this from Kiev.
The Ministry of Defense in Moscow has also not yet reported the complete occupation of the Luhansk region. In the past, however, official confirmation from Moscow usually came shortly after the local occupation authorities reported success.
The eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk had already partially come under the control of the Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. When war broke out, the Russians succeeded in conquering most of the region within a few months. During their counter-offensive in the fall of 2022, the Ukrainians were able to recapture some areas in the north of Luhansk.
Most recently, however, they only held a territory of a few square kilometers. Putin claims the Ukrainian territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson as Russian territory in addition to Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
One dead and two injured after rocket strike in Donetsk
According to the authorities, a woman was killed by a rocket attack in the large eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, which is occupied by Russian troops. Two other people, including a minor, were injured in the Ukrainian attack, said the Moscow governor of the region, Denis Pushilin, according to the state news agency Tass. There is no confirmation of this from Kiev. The information cannot be verified independently.
Zelensky thanks Germany
Meanwhile, Zelensky thanked Germany for its help, especially in strengthening its own air defenses. He said in his video message that it was now important to make progress with joint weapons production. "One of the goals is to enter into the system production of air defense complexes - this is a strategic task," he said.
Selenskyj also recalled the political support from Berlin in view of the visit by Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) to Kiev. Germany considers Ukraine's path to NATO to be irreversible, he said. Kiev sees the military alliance as an important guarantee of its own security, while Moscow had also justified the invasion of the neighboring country with its desire to join NATO. Most recently, US President Donald Trump dismissed Ukraine's accession to Nato as unrealistic.
At a meeting with his colleague Andrij Sybiha in Kiev on Monday, Wadephul announced that Germany and Ukraine wanted to boost cooperation in the arms sector.
