War in Ukraine: UN denies banning staff from using words 'war' and 'invasion'
The United Nations denied claims that it has banned staff from using the words "war" or "invasion" to describe the conflict in Ukraine.
According to an apparent leaked email, media reports said that UN employees were told to use "conflict" or "military offensive" instead.
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba shared the rumours on social media and said the UN's reputation was "at stake".
But senior spokespeople at the UN have denied the reports and said the claims were "fake".
"No such official communication has gone out to global staff to refrain from using certain words," said Melissa Fleming, who leads global communications for the UN.
Fleming also referred to an earlier tweet from UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, which used the words "war" and "invasion".
"Nearly two weeks on, it is painfully clear that those suffering the most after Russia's invasion of Ukraine are civilians — killed, wounded, displaced," DiCarlo said.
"This war is senseless. We are ready to support all good-faith efforts at negotiation to end the bloodshed."
Russia has always referred to the war in Ukraine as a "military operation", and the country's media regulator Roskomnadzor has cracked down on the words that news outlets can use.
Russian citizens now also face up to 15 years in prison if they intentionally spread claims about Russia's military that are deemed to be "fake".
Russia holds one of the five permanent seats on the UN Security Council, and some countries have expressed concerns about its role within the international body.
The Irish Times had reported that UN staff have also been banned from "adding the Ukrainian flag to social media profiles or websites".
Ukraine's foreign affairs
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