Amid escalating attacks and mounting casualties in the war in Ukraine, now into its fourth year, Pakistan has called on the parties to work earnestly towards a ceasefire through a sustained and meaningful dialogue process.
“We are deeply perturbed by the expansion of hostilities, targeting of civilians and civil infrastructure, and the exponentially mounting humanitarian toll,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council on Thursday during a debate on the situation in Ukraine.
In this regard, he reiterated the call for upholding the principles of International humanitarian law.
The 15-member Council met against the backdrop of Russian missile and drone strikes, including a barrage on Wednesday night that killed at least 25 people.
The Pakistani envoy said there was no military solution to this conflict.
“Each day of continued fighting only deepens the wounds and the ongoing tragedy, and moving the parties further away from reaching a political settlement,” he said.
“We again call upon the parties to demonstrate restraint, take meaningful strides towards de-escalation, and work earnestly towards a ceasefire through a sustained and meaningful dialogue process.”
Regretting that the diplomatic momentum generated at the start of the year by adoption of the Security Council resolution, which perhaps could have been more effective if it were endorsed unanimously, Ambassador Asim Ahmad said. The multiple rounds of dialogue between the two sides that followed, as well as continuing efforts led by President Donald Trump to bring an end to this conflict, are yet to bear fruit, he said.
In this context, the Pakistani envoy welcomed the renewed push for peace, including mediation efforts by Turkiye and Qatar, saying, “A solution that is acceptable to all relevant parties can silence the guns and ensure lasting peace.”
Pakistan, he said, believes that the path forward should be guided by wisdom and dialogue rather than continued hostilities and confrontation.
“We, therefore, urge all parties to demonstrate political will, engage in a meaningful, structured and result oriented dialogue that addresses the security concerns of all sides; most importantly, is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter and international law; and respects the relevant multilateral agreements.
“A ceasefire is the first logical and necessary step in this process,” the Pakistani envoy added.
At the outset, Kayoko Gotoh, Officer-in-Charge, Europe, Central Asia and Americas Division, Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, said, “No region of Ukraine is safe,” noting that, in Kyiv alone, civilian casualties in the first ten months of 2025 were nearly 3.8 times higher than in 2024.
Large-scale strikes on energy infrastructure have triggered prolonged power outages across most regions, leaving millions without heat, water or transport as temperatures fall, it was pointed out. Hospitals, homes, railways, schools, cultural sites, diplomatic facilities and even kindergartens have been hit.
Most casualties, she continued, are still concentrated near the frontline – including in Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy and Donetsk – but Moscow’s increased use of long-range weapons has placed many more civilians at risk.
Wednesday’s attack on Ternopil reportedly killed at least 26 people, including three children, and injured dozens more, the UN official said. Many remain missing under the rubble.
“This was one of the war’s deadliest strikes on civilians,” she said. Western regions – Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk – were also struck. In Kharkiv, at least 46 people, including two children, were reportedly injured in a drone attack. These incidents follow the massive 14 November strike on Kyiv, which killed at least six people, injured many more and damaged the Embassy of Azerbaijan – the second recent incident affecting diplomatic premises.
She also noted the war’s increasing effect on civilians inside the Russian Federation. According to Russian authorities, Ukrainian drone strikes have killed 392 people in 2025 – including 22 children – in the Russian Federation and in areas of Ukraine occupied by it.