UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “deep concern” on Tuesday over Russia’s announcement that it plans to launch systematic strikes on Kyiv.
Guterres’s concerns were delivered at an open high-level debate of the 15-member UN Security Council in New York, chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Guterres said the Russian announcement followed reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on a college building and dormitory in the Ukrainian city of Starobilsk, which is currently under Russian occupation.
He told the Security Council that the UN condemns the attack on the school, as well as attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure wherever they occur.
“Now more than ever, it is imperative to avoid any escalation of a conflict that has already exacted a devastating toll on civilians, and that risks making the search for peace even more distant, prolonging the suffering of people,” Guterres said.
Ukraine’s General Staff rebuffed Russia’s accusations and said the strike targeted a Russian military drone unit.
The UN meeting took place a day after Moscow said it intended to carry out future “systematic” strikes following another major weekend barrage against Kyiv in retaliation for the Starobilsk strike.
Russia’s foreign ministry also urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv “as soon as possible” as it threatens to launch more strikes on defense industry facilities and decision-making centers in the Ukrainian capital.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova brushed off the warning and said her team would remain in Kyiv.
“The EU is not going anywhere. We are staying in Kyiv. We are staying with Ukraine,” Mathernova said.
Worries go beyond Ukraine
The meeting came amid growing concern over the interpretation and application of international law as tensions among major powers continue to rise.
Guterres warned that a “dangerous erosion of respect for international law” was unfolding, “challenging or ignoring” fundamental principles, such as territorial integrity and sovereignty, with the world now facing the highest numbers of conflicts since the UN’s founding.
Guterres said the UN Charter embodied the promise that “the force of law would prevail over the law of force,” saying that international disputes must be settled by dialogue rather than armed aggression.
He also warned that wars, arms races, climate shocks and erosion of international law are placing “intense pressure on the multilateral system established to prevent a third world war,” describing the UN Charter as a “survival guide” whose core principles are now under “profound strain.”
The Charter of the United Nations is the organization’s founding document, and as such is an instrument of international law, meaning the UN member states are legally bound by its provisions.
Guterres warned that the principles of the charter are being eroded and ignored, with violations often going unpunished, and that there are more armed conflicts than at any time since the UN was founded.
He also pointed to record-high global military spending and the use of new weapon technologies, including autonomous systems and advances in artificial intelligence (AI) that are outpacing international regulations. According to Guterres, this combination is fueling an arms race and raising the risk of local conflicts spilling over into wider confrontation.
What this means for Ukraine and Europe
For Kyiv, the threats could be interpreted as a pressure tactic as Moscow falters on the battlefield while simultaneously reiterating its maximalist demands that Kyiv cede the Donbas region, which Moscow has failed to capture militarily since 2014.
In recent months, Moscow has suffered net territorial losses unseen since 2024 and manpower attrition outpacing its ability to replenish its ranks, according to think tank analysis and Kyiv’s estimates.
Kyiv also called the latest threats an attempt to intimidate both Ukrainian diplomacy and international bodies that have remained in the capital throughout the war.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described Russia’s latest threats as “a spit in the face of diplomacy and a brazen provocation” that he said shows Russia’s disregard for peace efforts, saying they require an international response.
European governments have already pushed back, with many of the diplomats dismissing Russia’s threats. Mathernova said that threats against international organizations are “not a sign of strength” but “a sign of desperation.”
Germany’s Foreign Ministry said Berlin “will not be intimidated by threats and will continue to support Ukraine unreservedly,” condemning recent attacks on hospitals, schools and TV studios, summoning the Russian ambassador in Berlin over the recent threats and recent large-scale strikes on civilian infrastructures in Ukraine.