Ukraine is legitimately defending its country and its people in line with international law, including the UN Charter, and it is time to start looking for a sustainable and just end to the war, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini has said at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.

"In close proximity to Slovakia, in Ukraine, a war has been going on for almost 1,000 days because of Russia's aggression, which has violated basic principles of international law such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is worth recalling that our neighbor Ukraine is legitimately defending its country and its people in line with international law, including the UN Charter," he said.

The president also said that the war in Ukraine continues to destroy the lives, infrastructure and future of Ukrainian men and women, and "does not benefit the Russian people either, because they too are dying and the war has come to them as well."

"The escalation is growing. It is time to start looking for a peaceful, sustainable and just end to this conflict based on the principles of international law and the UN Charter," he emphasized.

Pellegrini also added that for years there has been a common understanding that the UN is in need of reform and noted that Slovakia is ready to continue to assist this legitimate effort.