The African Union on Thursday condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for an “immediate ceasefire”, saying the situation risked escalating into “a planetary conflict”.

The AU’s current chair, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a joint statement that they were “extremely concerned” by the invasion.

They called on Russia to “respect international law, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”.

The AU leaders said the “very serious and dangerous situation” should be resolved via “political negotiations” overseen by the United Nations.