A coalition of 51 UN nations issued a joint declaration affirming Ukraine’s acceptance and urging Russia to reciprocate. It also demanded that Moscow return all deported Ukrainian civilians and children. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a day earlier that Russia wants a durable peace and is not interested in a ceasefire.
The appeal followed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Sept. 22 meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York, where they discussed a narrower halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. Zelensky said Ukraine would stop striking Russian energy sites if Moscow halted attacks on Ukraine’s electricity, heating and water supplies, and that Washington would convey the proposal to Russia.