Madam Chairperson,  

Russia’s strikes continue unabated.

Even on Orthodox Easter russia attacked Kharkiv, leaving 15 civilians injured.

In the Kharkiv region, russia killed a woman.

On the same day a thermal power plant was attacked with five missiles in Sloviansk, Donetsk region.

A day before, on the eve of Easter, russian terrorists launched eight missiles and almost 70 guided aerial bombs against our border communities.

That morning Kharkiv, Odesa, the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions were under Shaheds’s attack. Of course, the list of attacks is far from being exhausted.

Whatever we hear about the freedom of religion and church from the kremlin’s envoys, however, russia has forgotten the main God’s commandment - Do not kill!

In total, Ukrainian cities were shelled more than 380 times last week alone.

And it happens every day during this war.

For instance, even on Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II Day, vladimir putin authorised yet another massive missile attack on Ukraine

Ukraine was rained with 55 missiles and 21 attack drones.

As it was in the past, critical infrastructure was the main target in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinytstsia regions.

Reportedly, three thermo-power plants were seriously damaged. Gas storage facilities were also hit.

There are civilian casualties. 8-year-old girl was injured. Apart from that, during the day the city of Kharkiv was also attacked, including school’s territory. 12-, 13-, and 15-year-old boys were wounded.   

Every such an attack becomes a new line in the list of russia’s crimes. 

So far, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies launched investigations into 131,325 war crimes and crimes of aggression as well as 17,272 crimes against national security.

These numbers serve as a stark reminder of the necessity to end russia’s impunity with the establishment of a Special Tribunal on aggression against Ukraine. 

Your Excellencies, 

Let me quote from President Zelenskyy’s speech on the occasion of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II Day.

He delivered it from a basement in the village of Yahidne, where the russian military kept all the villagers as hostages for almost a month. And I quote. 

“Today, everyone who remembers World War II is experiencing déjà vu. The Battle of Kyiv, bombing of Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, mass graves, blockade of ports, plundering of grain, tortures, executions, deportation of children, filtration camps, and colonies for captives [...] Russia has brought the terrible past back into the daily news […] Ukrainians are once again standing up to evil, which reemerged, returned, and wants to destroy us again […] This evil is called Russian fascism, or RF for short.”

Colleagues, no matter how the ideology is called – Nazism, Fascism, Stalinism or Ruscism [РАШИЗМ] –disrespect for human dignity and life always lies in its core.

That’s why whatever the length of ribbons on the chests of the russian leaders, it doesn’t make them closer to the heroes who fought against the aggressor 80 years ago.

On the contrary, every person killed in Ukraine even widens an abyss between them and those who sacrificed their lives for decades of our freedom and peace.  

And, as history teaches us, a tyranny always tries to exploit democratic institutions for the self-legitimization.

The European Parliament rightly pointed out in its resolution (2024/2665(RSP)), that “Russia’s authoritarian regime has used such increasingly fraudulent and farcical so-called elections for decades to provide a semblance of democracy in order to continue to concentrate all power in the hands of Vladimir Putin”.

And just a few days ago, the russian authorities attempted once again to give the entire world and its own citizens the illusion of legality for the nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the russian federation into an aggressor state and the ruling regime into a dictatorship.

But given the gravity of committed crimes and the International Criminal Court's active arrest warrant for vladimir putin, there is no legal basis for recognizing him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the russian federation.

It is a call also voiced by the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

 Colleagues, Europe in the mid of the 20^th century paid too high price to learn that no one can be secure if certain country is under aggressor’s attack.

That’s why unwavering solidarity with Ukraine in these dark days is so much appreciate by the Ukrainian people.

At the same time, the memory of historical tragedies, like World War II, should serve us as a guide for our joint actions to prevent the repetition of crimes of the past.

Therefore, we are grateful to all participating States who continue supporting Ukraine with military aid, with restrictive measures and with political and diplomatic pressure against the aggressor.

Every additional step in terms of weapons, sanctions and isolation would deprive russia of any hopes to conquer Ukraine.

And last but not least, the upcoming first Global Peace Summit can and should demonstrate the value of international unity in upholding the rules-based international order. We count on the participation of all leaders invited to the Summit.  

This Summit will provide an opportunity to work on an action plan how to restore security, peace, and stability in Europe.  

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.