New York, 24 February 2026 – With the Russian-led war in Ukraine entering a fifth year, the United Nations General Assembly renewed its support for the war-torn country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it called for an immediate, full and unconditional cease-fire.

The resolution titled Support for lasting peace in Ukraine, which called for the cease-fire, was adopted by the 193-nation assembly with a 107-12 vote. A total of 51 countries abstained. The war broke out on February 24, 2022 in what Annalena Baerbock, the president of the UN General Assembly, said had shattered the peaceful aspirations of the European continent.

“Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another world because generations like mine have always had the privilege to live a life in peace,” Baerbock told journalists in Geneva. “But this changed four years ago with the full invasion [by] Russia, of the neighbouring country of Ukraine.”

The resolution said its demand for the cease-fire and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty is in line with the UN Charter. It also called for the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of civilians forcibly transferred, including children.

Baerbock said in an address to the assembly, “This war, initiated by a permanent member of the Security Council in blatant violation of our Charter, continues to inflict untold suffering on the Ukrainian people. And even as peace negotiations have been ongoing for some time now, the year 2025 stood as the deadliest for civilians since the start of this invasion.”

“Since the beginning thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including children, have been killed or injured. War-related humanitarian needs have only intensified, as the impact of relentless attacks and displacement is felt across the entire length and breadth of Ukraine.”

She said close to 4 million people remain internally displaced, while 5.7 million more live as refugees globally and nearly one-third of the population has been forced to flee, including more than half of all Ukrainian children.

 “This violence spares no one: not mothers or fathers, not grandparents, and certainly not children,” the UN official said.

“This war needs to finally end… Any peace agreement must be grounded in the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions,”  Baerbock said.

UN News reported on February 24 quoting Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine as saying that 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

“We are witnessing the devastating impact of systematic attacks on energy infrastructure that have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies across the country, in some cases leaving entire towns without electricity and water supply for weeks,” Schmale said from Kiyv.

Schmale said data showed that at least 2,500 civilians were killed and more 12,000 injured in 2025, a more than 30 per cent increase compared with 2024.

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