Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at
the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace
and security.
Thank you Madam President and thank you to the briefers for their
perspectives.
Madam President, the international community remains rightfully
concerned about the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. We’ve
repeatedly condemned this attack and we all want clear answers.
That’s why we support the national investigations of Germany,
Denmark, and Sweden to determine who is responsible.
In July, Germany, Denmark and Sweden offered a detailed update on
the progress of their investigations. That update highlighted the
unprecedented nature of the sabotage, and the subsequent
complexity of the investigative processes.
We understand these investigations will take time and we have
full confidence in their impartiality and integrity.
As we have said before, we do not believe it is a good use of our
time for the Security Council to start to prejudge the outcome of
these investigations, dictate how they are conducted, or
otherwise undermine them.
We, and fellow Council members, should continue to offer our full
support to these investigations so that we can establish who was
responsible.
President, before I finish, let us pause for a moment on the fact
that it was Russia who called this meeting.
Russia is claiming it is concerned about the destruction of
civilian infrastructure – so much so that it seeks to commemorate
the anniversary of this attack.
Yet we all know that almost every single day of the year is an
anniversary of a deliberate Russian attack on civilian
infrastructure in Ukraine.
We have seen the systematic bombing of Ukrainian energy and port
infrastructure, we have seen over 480 Russian attacks on schools
and hospitals and 120 attacks on religious sites.
And beyond infrastructure - what of the lives of civilians
themselves? At least 9,614 civilians have been killed and
seventeen and a half thousand more injured in Russia’s war of
aggression in Ukraine.
So as we listen to Russia today, let us not forget what they are
doing, deliberately and as a matter of policy.
Let us also not forget the callous disregard Russia showed for
civilians and civilian infrastructure in Aleppo, Homs and
Damascus when they vetoed nine Council resolutions aimed at
ending the Assad regime’s indiscriminate bombing of hospitals and
schools.
And let us not forget that while Russia repeatedly brings
briefers to the Council from the West who are free to attack
Western governments they systematically lock up anyone who dares
to criticise the Russian government position at home.
Madam President, Russia’s hypocrisy today is nothing new but it
bears repeating, if they are seriously concerned about civilian
infrastructure they must cease their relentless attacks and
ensure accountability for the appalling destruction and suffering
they have caused.
