Türkiye's UN envoy warns of 'global catastrophe' without peace plan for Ukraine

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Türkiye's envoy to the UN called Monday for immediate efforts to prevent the Ukraine conflict from escalating further with potentially devastating global repercussions.

"The highly attritional nature of the conflict remains unsustainable for all parties involved," Ahmet Yildiz told a UN Security Council session on Ukraine.

He highlighted the mounting toll of the war, which has inflicted "profound suffering on millions in Ukraine and beyond."

Noting that the risk of uncontrolled escalation remains significant, Yildiz said "this escalating trend might reach an unmanageable level with severe regional and global repercussions."

"The world cannot afford a prolonged war in Ukraine. That's why we need to focus our efforts on finding a workable, pragmatic and realistic plan to achieve peace to avoid a global catastrophe," he stressed.

Yildiz outlined Türkiye's principled stance on the crisis, emphasizing a three-pronged policy: commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, support for peace initiatives, and efforts to mitigate the war’s fallout.

"Despite the risks involved, there is still no strategic vision on how to end this war," he said, adding that "both sides are still investing in a military victory."

The Turkish envoy affirmed that "a just peace can only be achieved through direct dialogue and mutual understanding" and added that issues such as food and energy security, maritime safety in the Black Sea and prisoner exchanges could serve as starting points for peace talks.

He emphasized Türkiye's readiness to mediate, saying "Türkiye is prepared to play a facilitating role again when the sides are ready."

Yildiz further urged the international community to act swiftly, saying "the time has come to identify common ground and establish the most needed peace in Ukraine."