Statement by UK Deputy Political Coordinator Thomas
Phipps at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Thank you President and let me begin by joining the others in
thanking Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his comprehensive
briefing today.
President, as you are aware, Russia launched a full-scale war of
aggression against its neighbour, Ukraine, in February last
year.
In conducting its war of aggression, Russia has repeatedly and
deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. UN
investigations have confirmed Russia is responsible for gross
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,
which could amount to war crimes.
Russia has caused suffering and hardship for millions of people
around the world by weaponising food. Just today it struck a
Liberian-flagged civilian vessel entering the port of Odesa
killing its pilot. It has shown complete disregard for human
life, including by sending thousands of its own citizens to their
needless deaths.
President, nine days ago, the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights published its initial report into the Hroza missile
attack. Russia’s attack on Hroza killed 59 people, making it the
deadliest single incident for civilians since the launch of
Russia’s illegal invasion. The representative of the Russian
delegation himself admitted in this Council that Russia
deliberately struck the site in Hroza, but claimed it was to
target military personnel. The UN’s investigation concluded that
there was no indication of military personnel or any other
legitimate military targets at or adjacent to the café at the
time of Russia’s attack.
The Russian explanation has therefore, once again, proved to be a
lie.
Russia of course has lied in this Council many times, both before
and after it invaded Ukraine. Russia’s biggest lie of all though
is that it conducted its full-scale invasion, its annexation of
Crimea, and its military invasion in the Donbas in 2014 for the
benefit of the people there. The people of the Donbas faced no
threat from the democratically elected government in Kyiv. Russia
faced no threat from Ukraine. It faced no threat from NATO.
The reality is that Russia’s President felt threatened by the
aspirations of the Ukrainian people. 10 years ago this month
Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Yanukivych abandoned an
association agreement with the EU that triggered peaceful
protests in Kyiv. Just this week the European Commission has
recommended that the EU Council open accession negotiations with
Ukraine. It is clear, therefore, that President Putin has
catastrophically failed to achieve his objectives and he will
continue to do so.
Russia’s claims about what may have happened in Donetsk yesterday
have not been verified. They will remain unverified unless the UN
or other independent bodies are given access.
Up to five million civilians in Russian-controlled areas of
Ukraine need urgent aid but Russia continues to block access,
including to the UN.
President, complex human tragedies continue to unfold all over
the world - in Sudan, in Myanmar, in Israel and in Gaza. The
solutions are often equally complex. Too often, Russia has
attempted to distract this Council with spurious meetings aimed
to deflect and distract from its own crimes.
Too often Russia is not interested in solutions, but instead
undermines this Council’s work. But perhaps most egregious of
all, Russia, a permanent member of this Council, continues to
inflict suffering on Ukraine and across the globe when the
solution is simple. Russia should withdraw from Ukraine’s
internationally recognised territory and end its war of
aggression now.
