51 UN member states call on Russia to agree to unconditional ceasefire; US does not join
On 23 September, during the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, a group of UN member states issued a joint statement calling on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and engage in meaningful peace negotiations. The statement, presented by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, notes that Ukraine had already agreed to such a ceasefire since March 2025. The United States did not join the appeal.
Key points
- 51 UN member states issued a joint statement on 23 September calling on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
- The statement was presented by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
- The United States did not join the joint statement.
- Ukraine had agreed to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire since March 2025.
- Signatories demanded that Russia immediately return all deported and illegally held Ukrainian civilians, prioritizing children, and called for a full prisoner-of-war exchange.
- The statement expressed deep concern over escalating Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, citing rising UN-cited casualties.
- The statement raised concern over Russian attacks in the Black Sea and called for negotiations on a Black Sea agreement to protect freedom of navigation and grain exports.
Why it matters
The statement formalizes Ukraine's position as supporting an unconditional ceasefire and channels diplomatic pressure onto Russia at a moment of high-level UN engagement. It demonstrates broad international alignment behind Ukraine's position while leaving a visible gap: the United States did not join. By tying the ceasefire call to concrete humanitarian demands — the return of deported civilians including children and a full prisoner-of-war exchange — and to concerns about Black Sea shipping and attacks on civilian infrastructure, the signatories have framed any future agreement around measurable steps.
What happened
On 23 September, during the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York and ahead of a UN Security Council session, 51 UN member states issued a joint statement calling on Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and to engage in meaningful peace negotiations. The statement was presented jointly by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. It noted that Ukraine had already agreed to such a ceasefire since March 2025. The United States did not join the appeal. The signatories expressed deep concern over escalating Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure, citing UN data on rising civilian casualties in recent months, and over Russian attacks in the Black Sea, which they said deliberately obstruct Ukrainian grain exports and threaten global food security. The statement calls for negotiations on a Black Sea agreement to ensure freedom of navigation. The signatories also demanded the immediate, safe and unconditional return to Ukraine of all arbitrarily detained, forcibly displaced or deported Ukrainian civilians, including children, and called for the full return of all prisoners of war and interned persons as confidence-building measures. The statement reaffirmed support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and right to self-defense under the UN Charter.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources frame the statement as the product of Ukrainian diplomatic leadership: Ukraine had already agreed to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and Kyiv led the effort to press Russia to reciprocate. The statement was published via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and presented jointly by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. Ukrainian coverage gives particular weight to the humanitarian demands in the text — the return of deported civilians, especially children, and a full prisoner-of-war exchange — and to concerns about Russian strikes on civilians and in the Black Sea. The absence of the United States from the joint appeal is noted but is not presented as a setback; the emphasis is on the breadth of support among European and other partners.
How international sources describe it
The single international (Azerbaijani, English-language) agency source frames the story primarily as a multilateral diplomatic action at the UN: 51 member states calling on Russia to agree to an unconditional ceasefire after Ukraine had already done so. Coverage centers on the joint statement and the UN context rather than on the humanitarian or Black Sea elements that Ukrainian outlets foreground.
Where reporting differs
The number of states backing the joint appeal is reported inconsistently across sources: 51 UN member states, 50 states plus the European Union, or 49 states plus Ukraine and the EU, with one source describing the group as "more than 50." In addition, one source lists Panama among the signatories while the consolidated list in another source does not include Panama.
Background
The joint statement was issued on 23 September ahead of a UN Security Council session and during the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. Ukraine has said it agreed to a full and unconditional ceasefire back in March 2025. On 22 September, the day before the statement, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with Trump at the UN General Assembly.