Deputy Ambassador James Ford reaffirms commitment to the Helsinki
Final Act as the cornerstone of European security. UK condemns
Russia's aggression against Ukraine and calls for full respect of
sovereignty, territorial integrity, and indivisible security.
"The signing of the Helsinki Final Act was a milestone agreement
for security and cooperation across Europe. The UK continues to
see the Act's ten principles, including respect for sovereignty,
territorial integrity, human rights, and the peaceful resolution
of disputes, as the fundamental basis for true security in
Europe.
This year we should have been able to focus on the Helsinki Final
Act's positive and historic legacy. A shining example of how –
even in the midst of the Cold War, with Europe divided – our
predecessors could agree on a set of fundamental principles for
preserving peace in our continent. They did not do so lightly, or
easily: every word in the Decalogue was painstakingly debated and
negotiated. Their efforts developed the framework under which all
our states committed to respect one another's security, and to
protect the rights of our citizens.
But 2025 has instead been dominated by Russia's continued
aggression against Ukraine. Russia's drones and missiles are
still striking Ukrainian civilian targets indiscriminately.
Russia remains unapologetic; it has been the victim of its
aggression, Ukraine, that has shown serious commitment to peace.
The UK will continue to highlight and condemn Russia's aggression
for as long as it persists. As we stated here at the OSCE earlier
this year: ‘doing so is necessary because of the obvious
humanitarian imperative, but it is also a question of living up
to our promises to one another when we signed the Helsinki Final
Act.'
We therefore welcome the topic of today's Security Dialogue and
would like to thank Finland for their ongoing support for
discussion, for providing an exceptional panel of experts, and
for the excellent supporting material.
The UK remains committed to the indivisibility of the Helsinki
principles because that ensures they are treated as a single,
interconnected framework. If one principle is ignored it
undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the others.
However, Russia has repeatedly distorted the Helsinki Final Act's
principle of indivisible security by selectively interpreting it
to oppose NATO enlargement while ignoring other core commitments,
such as states' sovereign right to choose alliances. Moscow
falsely frames NATO's open-door policy as a threat to its
security, using this excuse for military aggression, including
the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This skewed interpretation
contradicts the Act's balanced framework, which links security
with respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful
dispute resolution, principles Russia has persistently violated
while it claims to defend indivisible security.
Reaffirming our commitments under the Helsinki Final Act,
including the principle of the indivisibility of security, is
essential to addressing the challenges we face today and to
preserving stability across the wider European continent. The
indivisibility of security reminds us that the security of one
state cannot be achieved at the expense of another. This
principle is not abstract, it is fundamental to reducing tensions
and to preventing conflict."
