“Back in March 2025, Ukraine agreed to a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire.” That sentence sits at the centre of a joint statement from 51 United Nations member states, which now ask Russia to do the exact same thing.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry made the declaration public, as relayed by United24 Media. The coalition demanded that Moscow stop its military operations at once and commit to meaningful peace negotiations aimed at a comprehensive and just settlement. The Ukrainian government, the statement stressed, has already shown it is ready to halt the fighting.
Children, grain and the Black Sea
The text goes beyond the ceasefire. It calls for the immediate and safe return of forcibly displaced or arbitrarily detained Ukrainian civilians, and for the unconditional repatriation of all deported people, “including children”.
It also turns to the sea. “Russia is attempting to block Ukrainian grain exports, thereby jeopardizing global food security,” the signatories said, adding: “We support efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.”
The ministry welcomed the declaration. Ukraine wants peace and stability, officials said, but no resolution is possible until Russia halts its aggression and takes part in the diplomatic process.
A ship on fire
The statement follows a recent overnight attack in which Russian forces struck a civilian cargo vessel flagged to Antigua and Barbuda. The strike killed the ship’s Ukrainian captain and set the vessel ablaze. The Ukrainian Navy evacuated the surviving crew and put out the fire before the ship could sink in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration condemned the attack as another act of Russian terror, warning that such strikes endanger maritime workers in established commercial corridors.
