---
title: "\"No End to the Suffering\": UN Secretary-General Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine and Is Ready for Trilateral Negotiations"
description: "UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine on the eve of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly and declared readiness for trilateral negotiations on the organization's platform."
date: 2026-09-16T17:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/un-secretary-general-calls-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-ukraine
tags: [un, guterrish, ukraine, russia, ceasefire, unga, energy-truce]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "No End to the Suffering": UN Secretary-General Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine and Is Ready for Trilateral Negotiations

![UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine at a UN press briefing](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/17/gensek-oon-prizval-k-nemedlennomu-prekrashcheniyu-ognya-v-ukraine/gensek-oon-prizval-k-nemedlennomu-prekrashcheniyu-ognya-v-ukraine-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as the first step toward a just peace.
- Guterres declared the UN's readiness to join a possible trilateral meeting involving American negotiators.
- The Secretary-General pointed to the global consequences of the war: threats to food security, fertilizer and energy supplies, compounded by the blockade in the Black Sea.
- The US called on Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian infrastructure; Moscow reacted with reservations, while Kyiv is ready for an energy truce upon receiving lists of facilities from Russia.

On the eve of the opening of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, the organization's Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. In his words, Russia's war against Ukraine has already been going on for a fifth year with no prospects of a swift end, and that is why the world needs the first and key step toward a just and lasting peace — a halt to hostilities. Guterres emphasized that any ceasefire must be in line with the UN Charter, international law, and the relevant resolutions of the Organization, since only this will create the necessary conditions for further agreements.

### Fifth Year of the Invasion with No End in Sight

"We have entered the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with enormous suffering among the civilian population, cascading global consequences — and no end in sight," the UN Secretary-General stated. He expressed concern that the destructive fighting continues, with civilians losing their lives both in Ukraine and on Russian territory. It is precisely the lack of a visible prospect of ending the conflict, in his assessment, that makes an immediate cessation of fire not merely desirable, but imperative.

### Trilateral Meeting on the UN Platform

In response to questions about the recent trips by American negotiators to Moscow and Kyiv and a possible trilateral meeting on the UN platform, Guterres declared the organization's readiness to join such a process. Thus, the Secretary-General confirmed that the UN is prepared to serve as a platform for dialogue if the parties show readiness for it, while stressing that the format of the meeting itself will not replace the need to halt hostilities.

### Global Consequences: Food and Energy

Guterres drew attention to the fact that the war is creating serious problems for global food security, as well as for the supply of fertilizers and energy carriers around the world. In his words, the situation is further complicated by the blockade in the Black Sea, which is compounded by the crisis in the Middle East. The UN Secretary-General called it critically important to find ways to safely continue the export of Ukrainian and Russian products — in particular food, fertilizers, and energy.

### An Energy Truce: The Positions of the Parties

Against the backdrop of these statements, other signals are also being heard. US President Donald Trump called on Kyiv to refrain from strikes on Russian infrastructure, arguing that such attacks could lead to a global diesel fuel shortage. The Kremlin received this initiative positively, however, Russian leadership spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that halting strikes on refineries would not solve all the problems in the global energy market. For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgy Tikhyy reported that Kyiv is ready to introduce an energy truce and is waiting from Moscow for specific lists of facilities in order to agree on the details.

### Contradictory Data

Publications by different outlets contain discrepancies in the wording and dating of the statement. Thus, in one source the Secretary-General's appeal is conveyed as a call for a "full and immediate" ceasefire, with a publication date of September 1, 2026, whereas in other materials the emphasis is placed on a "full ceasefire" and on the fact that the statement was made "on the eve of" the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which traditionally opens in mid-September. This creates an inconsistency in the exact date and the exact wording of the appeal. In addition, the positions of the parties on the energy truce do not align: Washington and the Kremlin speak of the need to stop strikes on infrastructure, Moscow qualifies that this will not solve all the market problems, while Kyiv makes receiving specific lists of facilities from Russia a condition. Both versions are presented above without any attempt to smooth them out.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["No End to the Suffering": UN Secretary-General Calls for an Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kintsya-strazhdannyam-vidno-gensek-oon-zaklikav-1789578918.html) - Подтверждает призыв к немедленному прекращению огня, упоминание 81-й сессии ГА ООН и пятого года вторжения.
- [UN Secretary-General Declares Readiness to Hold Trilateral Negotiations on Ukraine](https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8956538) - Подтверждает готовность Гутерриша к трехстороннему процессу на площадке ООН.
- [Guterres: The Time Has Come for a Full Ceasefire in Ukraine](https://vm.ru/news/1354750-guterrish-prishlo-vremya-dlya-polnogo-prekrasheniya-ognya-na-ukraine) - Подтверждает призыв к полному прекращению огня; формулировка чуть отличается от «полного и немедленного».
- [UN Secretary-General Calls for a "Full and Immediate" Ceasefire in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ru/politics/01/09/2026/6a96af6a8851ffdb265f23d4) - Подтверждает призыв; датирован 01.09.2026, что создает нестыковку с «в преддверии» Недели высокого уровня — отражено в разделе противоречий.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who did the UN Secretary-General address, and with what appeal?
**A:** António Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as the first step toward a just and lasting peace, emphasizing that it must be in line with the UN Charter and international law.

### Q: Is the UN ready to take part in trilateral negotiations?
**A:** Yes. Guterres declared readiness to join a possible trilateral process on the UN platform following the trips by American negotiators to Moscow and Kyiv.

### Q: What global consequences of the war did the Secretary-General name?
**A:** He pointed to threats to food security, fertilizer and energy supplies, as well as to the complication of the situation due to the blockade in the Black Sea against the backdrop of the Middle East crisis.

### Q: What is the position of the parties on the energy truce?
**A:** Trump called on Kyiv to refrain from strikes on Russian infrastructure; Peskov stated that this would not solve all the market problems; Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgy Tikhyy reported that Kyiv is ready for an energy truce and is waiting from Moscow for lists of facilities.