INTERNATIONAL: Ambassadors at the United Nation's Conference on Disarmament have condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and stressed on the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.

Comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that if a third World War were to take place, it would involve nuclear weapons and be destructive.

These comments come after Moscow put its nuclear deterrent on high alert amid a barrage of Western reprisals over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In the last week, Ukraine has suffered horrific attacks. Missiles and air strikes have torn through apartment blocks. Innocent people including children have lost their lives and the Ukrainian people have endured widespread suffering. The invading Russian armed forces have bombarded civilian targets, including residential areas. They are responsible for hundreds of civilian casualties, including growing numbers of children.

As a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, Russia has a particular responsibility to uphold international peace and security. Instead, it is violating the borders of another sovereign country and repudiating the principles that every country has committed to uphold. It is now vital that Russia urgently de-escalates and withdraws its troops. It must be held accountable and stop undermining democracy, global stability, and international law.

The UK and its international partners stand united in condemning the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter and show flagrant disregard for its commitments under the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk Agreements.

In a speech, Japan's ambassador to the UN's Conference on Disarmament being held in Geneva said his country knows about the catastrophic use of atomic bombs, referring to the nuclear bombing by the United States on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of the second World War.

Germany said Russia had in the past agreed that "a nuclear war should never be fought".

The U.S. Acting Permanent Representative Aud-Frances McKernan remarks to the Conference on Disarmament on the Situation in Ukraine ,has stated the United States condemns this senseless war, which puts Putin on the wrong side of history.

The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.

President Biden has said neither the United States nor NATO has any desire or intention for conflict with Russia. Russia is not under threat from the United States or NATO.

The provocative rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons is reckless, adds to the risk of miscalculation, and should be avoided.

Russia and the United States affirmed less than a year ago that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. This was also affirmed earlier this year in concert with our P5 partners, noting that nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences.

The United States stands by that statement and will continue to support dialogue and negotiations to reduce nuclear risks, including through verifiable agreements to limit nuclear weapons. A situation like this is exactly why practical work to promote security, nonproliferation, and disarmament is critical. Why the Conference on Disarmament exists.

^{PHOTO: U.N.'S CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT TAKING PLACE AT U.N. HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA / JAPANESE AMBASSADOR SAYING JAPAN KNOWS HOW CATASTROPHIC NUCLEAR BOMBING IS / GERMAN AMBASSADOR SAYING RUSSIA HAD ALREADY ASSERTED THAT A NUCLEAR WAR MUST NEVER BE FOUGHT / POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYING WAR IN UKRAINE PUTS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY IN QUESTION}