Ambassador Neil Holland says that Ukrainian civilians continue to
suffer while Russia refuses to engage constructively on the world
stage.
"Thank you, Mr Chair. We strongly condemn the huge wave of
Russian missile attacks overnight. These strikes, which have hit
cities across Ukraine, have already resulted in loss of life, and
brought yet more suffering to Ukrainian civilians. These happened
in the early hours of the UN International Day of Peace. Once
more, Russia has shown it is willing to sink to any depths in its
brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Later during this Council we will discuss Russia’s detention of
OSCE officials. I want that to be the focus of the UK
contribution this week. But I would also like to recall the G7
Foreign Ministers statement last week on the sham elections
Russia held on sovereign Ukrainian territory. This was a futile
attempt to legitimatise Russia’s illegal presence in Ukraine and
consolidate its control over the four oblasts it attempted to
annex last year. Such actions will never be tolerated. The UK and
its partners will never tire of calling out Russia’s violations
of international law.
On a more positive note, I wanted to note for the record how
heartening it was to be in Prague last week to take part in the
Economic and Environment Forum. It was telling that so many
participating States gathered to talk about a set of issues that
impact each and every one of us – and all of our citizens, whose
interests we are meant to be representing here at the OSCE.
Russia’s attempts to block this event were a shame. It seems as
though the consensus that should exist among us around the
environment and the climate in particular is yet another casualty
of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked war. Thank you."
