Ukraine may recalibrate its offer of ceasefire with Russia, envoy tells UN


A member of the White Angel unit of Ukrainian police officers, who evacuate people from the frontline towns and villages, checks an area for residents, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the frontline town of Druzhkivka, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 22, 2026. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov

June 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine may ⁠revise its offer to Russia of a ceasefire along the de ⁠facto frontline if the United Nations Security Council fails to ‌pass a resolution urging a full and unconditional end to the hostilities, a top Ukrainian official said on Monday.

Ukraine's envoy to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, spoke during a ​lengthy session of the UN Security Council, the ⁠sixth such meeting called to ⁠address the war in recent months.

"Ukraine stands ready to engage in direct ⁠negotiations ‌with Russia to secure a just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter, but our patience is not ⁠endless," he said, noting Ukraine had repeatedly urged the Security ​Council to adopt ‌a resolution for a full and unconditional ceasefire.

"If the Security Council ⁠would further ​choose a wait-and-see approach, I cannot exclude that Ukraine may recalibrate and modify its offer. Ceasefire along the de facto front line is already a ⁠great compromise," he said. He gave no further ​details.

Melynk insisted that Ukraine had changed the dynamic in the war, now in its fifth year, with recent strikes, adding that some 40% of ⁠Russia's oil refineries had been damaged.

Joined by other Security Council members, Melnyk strongly condemned a Russian strike on the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv last week.

Russia has denied that it attacked the UNESCO World Heritage ​site, blaming the strike on a U.S.-made Patriot ⁠air defense missile, a claim repeated by a top Russian official during ​the UN session.

Moscow has said its attack ‌targeted and struck drone manufacturing facilities, ​while Ukraine and many Western countries accused Russia of striking the monastery.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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