UK Counsellor for Politico-Military Affairs, Ankur Narayan,
rejects Russia's attempts to portray increased European defence
spending and NATO readiness as hostile, and underlines that these
are defensive measures taken in response to Russia's war of
aggression against Ukraine.
"Thank you, Chairs. The United Kingdom remains unequivocally
committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine: one that
upholds Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our
support for Ukraine is long-term, and we back every credible
effort to bring this war to an end.
Chairs, this Forum has heard that Europe
is militarising', and that NATO poses a threat to the
Russian Federation. We should be clear about what this argument
is, and what it is not. It is not an analysis. It is a
deflection. The Russian Federation invites this Forum to
treat cause and effect as though they were reversed. We
should restore them to their proper order.
NATO Allies are indeed increasing
their military capability and readiness. These are
not the opening moves of an aggressor; they are defensive
measures taken in response to a profoundly deteriorated security
environment. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has
shattered peace in Europe and created the gravest threat to
Euro-Atlantic security in decades. In those circumstances, it is
both reasonable and necessary for States to ensure that they can
defend their territories, populations and democratic
institutions.
Allies do not rebuild their armed forces in response
to a State behaving peacefully
and responsibly. They do so when confronted
by demonstrated aggression and the forcible seizure of
another State's sovereign territory. Increased defence
spending, higher readiness and stronger national
capabilities are not evidence of hostile intent, but
as a rational and proportionate answer to
Russian actions.
NATO is a defensive alliance. Its essential purpose is
to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through
collective defence. Its three-core tasks are:
Deterrence and Defence; Crisis Prevention and Management; and
Cooperative Security. Let me be completely
clear: NATO seeks no war with the Russian Federation,
and it threatens none. What Russia presents
as encirclement' is the predictable consequence of its
own choices: the invasion of sovereign
neighbours and the seizure of territory by force.
There is a clear distinction between legitimate self-defence and
coercive behaviour. This distinction must not be obscured. The
Russian Federation has used military force to violate the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of another participating
State. The evidence remains before us every week.
Russia continues its mass strikes against Ukrainian cities,
sustaining casualties of tens of thousands each month for
negligible gains, while refusing the
full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire that
Ukraine has repeatedly offered. Russia speaks of its concern for
European security while being the author of Europe's insecurity.
The OSCE Code of Conduct rests on the principles of responsible
and cooperative behaviour; the peaceful conduct of relations
between States; and that
States maintain armed forces to defend their security
and their citizens. It also reaffirms the continuing
validity of the UN Charter, international law and the
principles of the Helsinki Final Act. It does not allow
States to coerce their neighbours or to redraw borders by
force.
Chairs. If the Russian Federation is troubled by the scale of
Europe's investment in its own defence, there is a
straightforward remedy available to it. Withdraw its forces from
Ukraine's internationally recognised territory, cease its
attacks, and return to genuine diplomacy. Thank you, Chairs."
