UN secretary general, António Guterres, described the Ukraine war “as a stain on our collective conscience” and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. In remarks to a session of the UN security council, Guterres commended the efforts of the US and others to end the war, but said concrete measures were needed to de-escalate and create space for diplomacy. He said more than 15,000 civilians had been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war and more than 41,000 hurt. Among those killed or hurt were 3,200 children.

The UN general assembly adopted by a wide margin on Tuesday a resolution supporting Ukraine, backing its international borders and voicing concern over intensifying Russian attacks on civilians and critical energy infrastructure. The vote by the assembly, which has repeatedly supported Ukraine, passed with 107 in favour, 12 against, and 51 abstentions. The resolution, which is not legally binding but carries political weight, was considered to be a test of solidarity with Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Russia, Belarus and Sudan were among the opponents, while China and the US abstained.

Tammy Bruce, the US deputy UN envoy, explained the US abstention, saying that while Washington welcomed the call for an immediate ceasefire, the resolution included language likely to distract from negotiations, “rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace”.

Ukraine ambassador to the US said she plans to attend president Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, but did not have high expectations. “We do not expect that … everything we heard before will change into something new, and you know we will hear something extremely like positive or you know inspiring,” Olga Stefanishyna told reporters. “But at the same time, we want President Trump to hear us ahead of the speech that, you know, despite all the complexity and tragedy of what is happening in Ukraine, still Ukrainian people very much rely on his leadership.”

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declared on Tuesday that Russia has not “broken Ukrainians” nor triumphed in its war, four years after an invasion that has severely tested the resolve of Kyiv and its allies and fuelled European fears about the scale of Moscow’s ambitions.

More than 30 leaders in the coalition of the willing group supporting Ukraine on Tuesday urged Russia to agree to an “unconditional ceasefire”. They called on Moscow to engage in peace talks “in a meaningful way, and to agree to a full, unconditional ceasefire”, according to a statement released by Berlin after the group met virtually. “The leaders noted the grim toll that Russia has paid for minimal gains on the battlefield, suffering almost half a million casualties last year alone.” The British prime minister, Keir Starmer; the French president, Emmanuel Macron; and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, were among those who joined the virtual meeting with Zelenskyy.

US senators introduced a resolution on Tuesday supporting Ukraine as it battles Russian invaders. The resolution was led by the Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen and the Republican Thom Tillis. It had at least 26 other cosponsors, evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Provisions in the measure include encouragement of strong cooperation among Nato allies and a call for any negotiated settlement to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and “include Ukraine as the central party to discussions regarding its future”.

The US state department has expressed its displeasure about Ukraine’s recent attacks on the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea that have affected US oil interests in ⁠Kazakhstan, Kyiv’s chief envoy to Washington said on Tuesday.