Volker Turk’s appeal comes the day after US President Donald Trump warned Moscow that it would face significant new economic sanctions if the war was not ended within 50 days
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The United Nations emphasised on Tuesday that any peace negotiations on Russia’s war in Ukraine include full responsibility for the conflict’s litany of crimes, coming after the bloodiest month for civilians since May 2022.
Volker Turk’s appeal comes the day after US President Donald Trump warned Moscow that it would face significant new economic sanctions if the war was not ended within 50 days.
Trump also announced preparations to provide arms to Kyiv through NATO.
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In recent weeks, Trump has been more frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has escalated assaults rather than stopped them.
“An immediate ceasefire is needed now to end this unbearable suffering,” Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for Turk’s office, told a media briefing.
“Work on a lasting peace, in line with international law, must intensify – a peace that ensures accountability for gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
Rather than being sidelined or overlooked, “any move towards ceasefire, towards peace – accountability must be at its heart”, she added.
Surging civilian casualties
Throssell said Turk wanted any negotiations to focus in the immediate term on ending attacks that affect civilians and protecting the rights of people in occupied territory.
They should also seek to return forcibly transferred or deported children, establish humanitarian corridors across the line of control and an bring end to the torture and ill treatment of prisoners of war and other detainees, she said.
Russia launched the full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
Moscow has unleashed record waves of drone and missile attacks over the past few weeks, with the number of Ukrainian civilians killed or wounded in June hitting a thr