Pakistan has called for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, telling the United Nations Security Council that the fighting must stop before more civilians are harmed and before the damage spreads further to food and energy supplies around the world.

Ambassador Syed Haider Ali Shah, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered the appeal on Monday during a Council briefing on Ukraine. He said Pakistan was deeply concerned by the continued escalation in fighting and the harm it was causing to civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Pakistan urges ceasefire and return to talks

The briefing followed Russian attacks on Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk on 29 October, which killed at least 19 people and injured more than 50. The meeting had been requested by Ukraine and was supported by the Council's five European members. It was chaired by Latvia's Foreign Minister, Baiba Braze.

Ambassador Shah told the 15-member Council that Pakistan wanted an immediate and robust ceasefire to pause active hostilities, rebuild trust and open the way to a peaceful political settlement acceptable to both sides.

"The pursuit of a military solution only risks further escalation and prolongs the suffering of those affected by this conflict," he said. He added that the humanitarian fallout, together with the shocks to global food and energy markets, continued to harm developing countries far beyond Europe.

"We call upon both parties to desist from further expanding the conflict, de-escalate, scrupulously abide by International Law and International Humanitarian Law obligations and recommit to dialogue to bring an early end to this conflict," the ambassador said.

Warning over food and energy security

Pakistan warned the Council that any further intensification of the war would deepen the threats to global food and energy security, with developing countries that depend on imports bearing much of the cost. The envoy said continued military escalation and battlefield expansion only entrenched mistrust, shrank the options for diplomacy and deepened the suffering of innocent people.

Pakistan also welcomed reports of working-level diplomatic meetings between Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi and encouraged both sides to engage in earnest, structured dialogue. Ambassador Shah said any durable peace must align firmly with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, while addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties involved.

Winter warning and the Oleshky opening

Briefing the Council, Mohamed Yahya, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, warned that winter was no longer a distant threat, as Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure were causing prolonged power and water outages affecting millions of people.

He said hospitals and other essential services faced mounting pressure as temperatures fell. Although humanitarian organisations were providing emergency assistance under a winter response plan targeting more than two million people, he stressed that aid "cannot replace an electricity grid repeatedly destroyed by attacks".

Both Pakistan and the UN official welcomed the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, in Russian-occupied territory, which allowed roads to be cleared, supplies to move and civilians to evacuate. Ambassador Shah said the scenes witnessed in Oleshky showed that real and meaningful progress could only be achieved through dialogue and cooperation.

"We cannot allow Oleshky to remain an isolated opening," Mr Yahya told the Council, urging protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access and safe passage for those fleeing the fighting.

The war in Ukraine is now in its fourth year. Pakistan's statement at the Council on Monday was its latest call for the two sides to stop expanding the conflict and return to negotiations.