Ukraine envoy to UN says Russia ‘declared war’

Ukraine’s ambassador at the United Nations has told the Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “declared war on Ukraine”.

He also pressed his Russian counterpart to state that Russia will not shell and bomb Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said Wednesday night that if Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia was not in a position to give a positive answer, he should relinquish the presidency of the Security Council, which Russia holds this month.

The Ukrainian then asked for another emergency meeting of the Security Council, calling on the UN body “to stop the war because it’s too late to talk about de-escalation”.

Kyslytsya then asked if he should play the video of Putin announcing military operations being launched in Ukraine.

Nebenzia replied: “This isn’t called a war. This is called a special military operation in Donbas.”