As delivered by the Ukrainian Delegation, to the 1460s meeting of the Permanent Council on 8 February 2024
Madam Chairperson,
I would like to express our gratitude to the CiO for his visit to Ukraine.
CIO’s visit to Borodianka, Bucha, and Hostomel is more than a sign of solidarity.
This is about an unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine.
As was discussed in Kyiv, the OSCE, among other things, can significantly contribute to ending russia’s war of aggression.
The deportation of Ukrainian children and illegal detention of civilians by russia are among the areas where the OSCE can and should play a role.
And it is symbolically, that the CIO’s visit took place on the day when Ukraine and Canada launched an International coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
The OSCE could be a good instrument in this regard by stepping up political pressure on russia and by providing Ukraine with technical support.
We believe that the CIO will give all necessary political guidance to the OSCE and its Institutions to pay maximum attention to these issues.
The implementation of Ukraine’s Peace Formula is another area where we look forward to close cooperation with the OSCE, including by developing respective projects.
Excellencies,
On January 31, the russian president tasked to integrate occupied territories of Ukraine by 2030.
By doing this, he reminded once again what the invasion of Ukraine is about.
It is about aggression and territorial claims. Nothing else.
However, these international crimes must entail international responsibility.
Only this, including the establishment of a Special tribunal on the russian aggression, would again reinforce a principle of “never again”.
10 years of Crimea’s occupation is a reminder of how this integration happens, what security challenges it brings and why we have to act now.
First of all, its about people.
Over the last ten years Crimea has become oppressed and a blueprint for the occupation regime in newly occupied territories.
According to russia’s repressive laws, people are subject to arbitrary detentions and arrests.
Furthermore, children are exposed to russification and military indoctrination.
They are simply taught how to fight the war.
It covers from parading to brainwashing to digging real trenches.
This is how russia turns them into future obedient soldiers.
In other words, the kremlin regime prepares a new generation for its war.
This happens before our eyes.
Such russia’s cynical state policy must be duly addressed by the OSCE.
We have to protect children now, wherever they are – either in the occupied territories or in russia itself.
Another challenge for people in the occupation is the russian passport.
As moscow prepares a farce of reappointing vladimir putin as their president for additional few years, the pressure in the occupied territories is growing.
Especially worrying is the situation in the occupied ZNPP.
According to a new announcement, no workers employed by Ukraine’s national operator Energoatom would be allowed to remain working at the site any longer.
In other words, those who do not want to adopt russian citizenship are going to lose any rights.
Even at the expense of nuclear safety.
This highlights again the importance of documenting by the OSCE of the russian crimes, especially passportization, as requested by Minister Kuleba.
And the integration of the occupied territories means their militarization.
As Crimea has demonstrated, russia turns occupied areas into a military base to serve its further aggressive strategies.
Today it is more than obvious, that russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine would not have been possible without Crimea.
Likewise, the continuation of the invasion of Ukraine is also not possible without Crimea.
Today the occupied Crimea remains the main hub for fueling russia’s war.
As well, it is one of the key launching pads for missiles and drones against Ukraine.
Just yesterday a new massive russian air attack happened against my country. Including from Crimea.
Six regions came under russia’s terror.
Russia fired 20 drones and 44 missiles, including 29 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, four Kh-22 cruise missiles; three Kalibr cruise missiles; three Iskander-M ballistic missiles; and five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles.
In Mykolaiv, dozens of houses were destroyed and one person was killed.
40 people were injured in Kyiv, and four have been dead.
Two people were injured in Kharkiv, and one was rescued.
Reportedly, two of the five missiles fired at Kharkiv were produced by North Korea.
Multi-storey residential buildings, private houses, economic facilities, cars, and infrastructure have been damaged.
A day before, a two-moth-old baby boy was killed in Zolochiv, in the Kharkiv region as a result of another russian missile attack. His mother was badly injured.
On that day russia demilitarized yet another hotel.
And this night russia continued its attacks.
As a result of mass shelling of Selydovo, Donetsk region, seven people were injured, including a 6-year-old boy.
Also, there was another drone attack. 11 out of 17 drones were shot down, however, civilian infrastructure was damaged in Odesa and Mykolaiv and in Vinnytsia region.
Excellencies,
The russian aggression has been and remains the only root cause of all war-related human suffering and destruction in Ukraine and beyond.
And it is especially cynical, when representatives of putin’s regime are trying to misuse the OSCE to shift the responsibility for the bloodshed and present new false arguments for the continuation of the war.
Russia still believes that it is capable to turn the tide of the war.
Support of other rogue states which also want to challenge the existing order emboldens moscow.
Last week the intensity of russia’s shelling increased by almost a quarter.
Ukraine was attacked more than 1500 times.
More than 570 settlements were targeted. The largest number of attacks was recorded in the Zaporizhzhia region.
New missile attacks and intensification of shelling speak volumes that russia is not going to change.
And this is a stark reminder that Ukraine must be duly equipped to stop russia.
We need this to ensure that
With enough political resolve, the technical and know-how superiority can be converted into a victory of democracy.
This is how we can effectively force russia to end the war according to the 10 points as suggested by Ukraine’s Peace Formula and demanded by the international community.
I thank you, Madam Chairperson.