On the 4th anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that Tuesday, February 24, marks four years since the Russian Federation violated the United Nations Charter and international law by launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This devastating war is a stain in our collective memory and continues to threaten regional and international peace and security.
He pointed out that the longer the war lasts, the more deadly it becomes. Civilians are bearing the brunt of this conflict, with Ukrainian civilian casualties reaching a record high in 2025. This situation is absolutely unacceptable.
Guterres said: “I once again call for an immediate, comprehensive, and unconditional ceasefire as the first step toward a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. For peace to be just, it must be in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and must respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”
He emphasized that the United Nations is ready at all times to contribute to all efforts toward achieving this goal.
● The War Continues, No Signs of Negotiation from Either Side
In addition, Russia and Ukraine have not yet reached a substantive peace agreement, and both countries’ forces continue to strike targets on each other's territory. According to a report by Russia's Izvestia on the 23rd, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that day that Russian forces had destroyed some transportation, energy, and fuel infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces. The day before, the Russian military carried out large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The Russian side stated that this was a response to Ukraine’s attacks on civilian infrastructure within Russia.
On the 22nd, Ukraine used drones to attack an oil depot in the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. Voronezh and Belgorod regions in Russia also reported drone attacks by Ukraine, resulting in local power outages and heating disruptions. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the 22nd that the situation in Ukraine is very difficult. However, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation that day, he emphasized that Ukraine will not trade territorial concessions for a ceasefire. He also called for NATO forces to be deployed closer to the front lines. But he admitted that no one wants to be on the front line.
French President Macron said on the 23rd that the EU must push for a 20th round of sanctions against Russia and stressed that discussions on new sanctions will take place "in the coming days".