Ethiopia has urged the international community to refrain from “unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference” in its affairs following calls to end the conflict in the northern Tigray region.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called the military offensive a “law-enforcement operation”.
His deadline to Tigray fighters to surrender will lapse on Wednesday.
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands have been forced from their homes.
Aid groups fear the conflict could trigger a humanitarian crisis and destabilise the horn of Africa region.
The UN has said it was alarmed by the threat of major hostilities if the Ethiopian army advanced on Tigray’s capital, Mekelle, home to about 500, 000 people.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, Ahmed said when it came to help from outside “the international community should stand by until the government of Ethiopia submits its requests for assistance”
On Tuesday, a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the fighting in Tigray ended without a statement, with African countries reportedly requesting more time to allow for diplomatic efforts by the African Union to continue.
On Sunday, Ahmed issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Tigray’s forces, telling them to surrender as they were “at a point of no return”.
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