Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russia to be stopped as shelling on Ukrainian cities continued into the night following a first round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on Monday, MIA informs.
More than 100 civilians have already died in Russia’s war in Ukraine, while more than 300 bystanders were injured, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said.
At least seven children were also counted among the dead. The Ukrainian government said the civilian death toll so far stands at more than 150.
Russia has rejected the idea that its advancing troops posed a threat to civilians as the invasion of Ukraine neared the end of its fifth day on Monday. UN Secretary General António Guterres earlier said there were “credible accounts of residential buildings, critical civilian infrastructure, and other non-military targets sustaining heavy damage,” calling civilian deaths “totally unacceptable.”
“A state that commits war crimes against civilians cannot be a member of the UN Security Council,” Zelensky said in a video message, in a plea for Moscow to be excluded from the UN council where it is a permanent vetoholding member.
“This is Ukraine here. This is Europe. This is the year 2022. The evil armed with missiles, bombs and artillery must be stopped immediately. Economically destroyed. To show that humanity can defend itself,” Zelensky said.
He urged the international community to consider completely blocking airspace for Russian missiles, planes and helicopters. The US government, however, rejected calls to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it would be a step towards a direct conflict between the US and Russia.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine had not yet achieved the desired result at peace talks between a Ukrainian and a Russian delegation on Monday.
“Russia has presented its positions, counter-arguments have been made by us to end the war,” Zelensky explained. As soon as the delegation was back in Kyiv, officials would analyze the positions and decide how to proceed in the second round of negotiations, he said.
Both sides had identified a number of main issues on which “certain decisions” had to be made, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told reporters after the meeting, which lasted about six hours. The president also characterized the shelling of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv as a war crime.
“There will definitely be a tribunal for this crime… It’s a violation of all conventions,” he said. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov earlier on Monday said nine people were killed and 37 injured after Russian forces shelled the eastern Ukrainian city. Other reports said at least 11 people were killed in the attacks.
