Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky says Putin must be ‘forced into peace’ as Kharkiv stronghold liberated
The Ukraine war will not be ended by talks alone and Russia must be “forced into peace”, Volodymyr Zelensky has told the UN Security Council.
“[Vladimir] Putin has broken so many international norms and rules that he won’t stop on his own, Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what’s needed, forcing Russia into peace, as the sole aggressor in this war, the sole violator of the UN Charter,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president, who is in the US this week lobbying for support from UN member states and American leaders, also criticised North Korea and Iran as “de facto accomplices” in Russia’s war.
Foreign secretary David Lammy also tore into Mr Putin and said the invasion of Ukraine serves the Russian president’s interests alone.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have recaptured a Russian stronghold in Kharkiv’s Vovchansk after intense fighting involving hand-to-hand combat in “densely built-up conditions”, military officials said.
And Russian forces have been accused of using “scorched earth” tactics to capture Vuhledar in Ukraine’s east, where fighting has grown particularly fierce.
