Residents of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, woke up on Sunday morning to a cacophony of air raid sirens. They have been used a handful of times in recent years, primarily when fighting was at a peak in the Donbas region, more out of caution than imminent threat. Now, however, the threat is ever-present. On Saturday, a missile struck an apartment block near Kiev’s airport, turning the five-storey building into a crater. The incident resulted in six injuries and highlights the threat to civilian life. Civilians, increasingly, are being dragged into this conflict, the purpose of which, Moscow claims, is to “demilitarise” Ukraine. That goal has proven counterproductive, as it has resulted in a flood of weapons from western states into Ukrainian territory, as well as record levels of enlistment in Ukraine’s armed forces. Ukraine is arguably more militarised now than it has been in decades. Videos showing Ukrainians attempting to block Russian tanks with their own bodies illustrate how quickly the lines between the activities of armed forces and civilians can fade, if escalation continues. Over the past seven years, 16,000 people have died in the fighting in Donbas. On Sunday, the UN reported that at least 64 civilians have died in the past week, 24 of them in the first 24 hours of the invasion. These figures have alarmed the international community, including friends of both countries. On Friday, at a session of the UN Security Council, Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN, expressed “alarm at the consequences for civilians”, and called for an urgent effort to attain a diplomatic solution. UAE Presidential Adviser Dr Anwar Gargash said on Sunday that “in the Ukrainian crisis, our priority is to encourage all sides to adopt diplomacy and negotiations in order to find a political settlement that can end this crisis”. He added that “we believe that political solutions and creating balances that enhance security and stability are the best way to confront crises and limit their effects.” As Ms Nusseibeh further remarked during the Security Council session: “Being from the Middle East, we are intimately aware of the importance of a stable regional security environment, and of de-escalation, diplomacy and dialogue.” Having been involved in war, diplomacy and peace in the Middle East for many years, Russia will be aware of these lessons, too. Direct, good faith talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials will be the most constructive path forward. On Sunday evening, Ukrainian officials confirmed that a meeting will take place with their Russian counterparts at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border. The Ukrainian government has, according to reports, agreed to the talks without conditions. The desire for dialogue provides some reassurance that a cessation of hostilities could be on the horizon. But for that desire to turn into anything meaningful, it must be backed by a real motivation to end this war and find a sustainable peace, whatever it takes.
