The Ukrainian UN Ambassador Andrij Melnyk (l.) at an earlier appearance.archive image: keystone
The Ukrainian representative to the United Nations signaled a willingness to talk to the UN Security Council. At the same time, he threatened Russian dictator Vladimir Putin with a change of course.
June 24, 2026, 10:06 amJune 24, 2026, 10:06 am
Julian Alexander Fischer, Simon Cleven / t-online
Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, says he is ready to talk to Russia. The dynamics have changed significantly in the past month and Russia has realized that it cannot win the war, he said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
They are ready to negotiate to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter, said Melnyk, who was formerly the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany. However, Ukraine’s patience is “not unlimited.” He therefore cannot rule out “the possibility that Ukraine will rethink its position and change its offer.”
He also warned Russia: “You will never be able to hold the occupied territories. Never.” He demanded: “Get out of Ukraine as quickly as you can, before it’s too late!”
The meeting was convened at Kiev’s request following recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and cultural sites. According to Ukraine, there were numerous civilian deaths and injuries.
Sharp accusations against Putin
Melnyk spoke of an unprecedented extent of Russian “rocket terror” against the Ukrainian population. On the night of June 15th alone, Russia used more than 70 missiles and over 600 drones. The main target of the air strikes was the Ukrainian capital.
Melnyk spoke about this in particular detail Attack on the Kiev-Pechersk Lavraa Unesco World Heritage site dating back to the 11th century. Russia had once again crossed a red line, he emphasized. The attack was “a slap in the face for the entire civilized world.”
The Ukrainian diplomat accused Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin claims to have secured “a place among the darkest figures in modern history” through the attacks on cultural sites. He also accused Russia of deliberately attacking Ukraine’s cultural identity. As an example, he cited damage to the Dovschenko film studio in Kyivwhich Melnyk described as the “Ukrainian Hollywood.”
The ambassador also spoke of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russian armed forces are targeting civilian infrastructure and have recently also attacked merchant ships on their way to Ukrainian ports.
At the same time, Melnyk defended Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. These are legitimate military targets under international law because they provide fuel for Russian tanks, aircraft and missiles. The Ukrainian armed forces, on the other hand, would not attack civilians.
With regard to the situation in Russia, Melnyk explained that the consequences of the war were now clearly noticeable there too. Almost 40 percent of Russia’s oil refineries were damaged. “This is just the beginning,” warned the Ukrainian UN ambassador.