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Melnyk stated at the UN Security Council that Ukraine might change its approach

Melnyk stated at the UN Security Council that Ukraine might change its approach

Katerina Melnychenko Deputy Editor-in-Chief

23 June 2026, 08:45

Melnyk stated at the UN Security Council that Ukraine might change its approach — Andriy Melnyk, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN

Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, has stated that Kyiv may reconsider its approach if the UN Security Council continues to fail to adopt resolutions to halt Russian aggression. According to the diplomat, Ukraine has been calling on the international community for over a year to support a full and unconditional ceasefire, but these initiatives have so far failed to yield results.

Andriy Melnyk made this statement during a meeting of the UN Security Council.

During the UN Security Council meeting, Ukraine’s Permanent Representative Andriy Melnyk emphasised that over the past 15 months, Kyiv had repeatedly called on the international community to support a resolution on a complete and unconditional ceasefire.

According to him, despite numerous appeals, the Security Council has failed to ensure an adequate response to the ongoing Russian aggression.

“However, our patience is not boundless. The Security Council should consider how long it can continue with a ‘wait-and-see’ approach – if this continues, it cannot be ruled out that Ukraine will change its approach,” the diplomat stated.

Ukraine’s position on negotiations

Melnik emphasised that Ukraine remains open to direct negotiations with Russia, provided that their aim is to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter.

At the same time, he made it clear that the lack of effective decisions on the part of international institutions could influence Kyiv’s future position.

During his speech, the Ukrainian representative also stated that the consequences of the war are increasingly being felt within Russia itself.

According to Melnik, even the air defence system around Moscow is no longer capable of fully protecting military facilities on Russian territory.

At the end of the meeting, he appealed to the Russian representative to withdraw from the occupied Ukrainian territories.

“You will never succeed in holding on to the occupied territories. Never. Get out of Ukraine as soon as possible,” the diplomat said.

In effect, Melnik publicly questioned the effectiveness of the UN Security Council in responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

His statement was one of Kyiv’s strongest messages to international institutions in recent times and reflects growing dissatisfaction with the lack of concrete decisions to end the hostilities.

The day before, the United Nations reported that May 2026 had been the deadliest month for Ukraine’s civilian population since April 2022.

According to the UN, at least 274 civilians were killed as a result of Russian shelling during May.

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