UN to Again ‘Demand’ Russia ‘Immediately’ End War in Ukraine

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, addresses the General Assembly on March 23, 2022 TIMOTHY A. CLARY AFP
Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, addresses the General Assembly on March 23, 2022 TIMOTHY A. CLARY AFP
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UN to Again ‘Demand’ Russia ‘Immediately’ End War in Ukraine

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, addresses the General Assembly on March 23, 2022 TIMOTHY A. CLARY AFP
Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, addresses the General Assembly on March 23, 2022 TIMOTHY A. CLARY AFP

The UN General Assembly was debating on Wednesday a new non-binding resolution which, if adopted by a majority of member states, will "demand" that Russia stop the war in Ukraine "immediately".

On March 2, 141 countries approved an earlier resolution that demands that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine.

Five states, including Russia, voted against and 35 abstained. The resolution was non-binding and, other than demonstrating Russia's isolation on the world stage, did not appear to impact the fighting.

On Wednesday Ukraine put the new resolution forward at another emergency session of the General Assembly in New York, AFP reported.

The text, which is also non-binding, "demands an immediate cessation of the hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular of any attacks against civilians and civilian objects."

It also reiterates UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for Moscow to "stop its military offensive, as well as his call to establish a ceasefire and to return to the path of dialogue and negotiations."

The draft resolution, seen by AFP, is supported by 88 countries and had been initially prepared by France and Mexico.

The United States ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, described it as "building" on the March 2 vote.

She said it "makes that appeal to the one person with the ability to stop the violence. And that's Vladimir Putin."

Her French counterpart Nicolas de Riviere said France was calling on Moscow to "stop the aggression of Ukraine, which has been killing civilians, including children, medical staff and journalists for a month."

"It is a massacre and the worst is still ahead of us," he continued, recalling that the "absolute priority is an immediate cessation of hostilities and full compliance with international humanitarian law."

Also on Wednesday, Russia will try again to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council on the "humanitarian situation" in Ukraine.

If the resolution is not vetoed, it will need at least nine votes from the 15-member body to be adopted -- which diplomats say is unlikely.

Last week Russia -- which invaded Ukraine on February 24, and has been accused of committing war crimes against civilians -- cancelled an earlier attempt at the vote due to a lack of support from its closest allies.

That resolution never had a chance of adoption because it would have been vetoed by Western powers.

Russia, however, had hoped that some votes in favor would have shown it still has some support on the world stage following its all-out assault on Ukraine.



Philippine Troops Kill 7 Communist Rebels in Latest Flare-up of Decades-long Insurgency

This photo provided by Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion shows assault rifles and grenade launchers recovered by troops after a brief gun battle with communist guerrillas in Masbate province, Philippines Sunday, July 27, 2025.(Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion via AP)
This photo provided by Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion shows assault rifles and grenade launchers recovered by troops after a brief gun battle with communist guerrillas in Masbate province, Philippines Sunday, July 27, 2025.(Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion via AP)
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Philippine Troops Kill 7 Communist Rebels in Latest Flare-up of Decades-long Insurgency

This photo provided by Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion shows assault rifles and grenade launchers recovered by troops after a brief gun battle with communist guerrillas in Masbate province, Philippines Sunday, July 27, 2025.(Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion via AP)
This photo provided by Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion shows assault rifles and grenade launchers recovered by troops after a brief gun battle with communist guerrillas in Masbate province, Philippines Sunday, July 27, 2025.(Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Battalion via AP)

Philippine troops killed seven communist guerrillas in an offensive Sunday in a central province and were pursuing several others in the latest flare-up of the decades-long insurgency that the military says is on the brink of collapse.

Army forces killed two New People’s Army guerrillas in a clash last week in Masbate province and then caught up with the fleeing insurgents early Sunday in the hinterlands of Uson town, where they killed seven of them in a 30-minute gunbattle, Maj. Frank Roldan of the army’s 9th Infantry Division said.

Seven assault rifles and two grenade launchers were recovered by troops at the scene of the battle. At least eight rebels managed to flee in different directions and were being pursued, Roldan said.

“We’re in the final push,” Roldan told The Associated Press by telephone, saying a few dozen armed guerrillas remain in the island province, a poverty-stricken agricultural region of more than 900,000 people.

“This successful operation delivers a major blow to the already weakening insurgency,” Roldan said, and asked the remaining rebels to surrender and support the government's peace efforts.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said last week that less than 900 rebels remain, mostly in eastern rural regions, from the estimated 25,000 insurgent force at the peak of the 56-year insurgency, one of Asia’s longest-running rebellions.

Saddled by battle defeats, surrenders and factionalism, the guerrilla forces “are on the brink of collapse,” said Brig. Gen. Medel Aguilar, deputy commander of the military’s Civil Relations Service.

Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations.