Over the recent days we have engaged in intensive discussions within different OSCE formats regarding Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea. I would like to thank all the colleagues who on behalf of their states have expressed full support to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within the existing and internationally recognized borders.

Despite the meaningful international efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis, the situation in Crimea remains tense, primarily due to the unwillingness of the Russian Federation to pull back their troops to the places of permanent stationing and engage into dialogue with Ukrainian authorities. Russian political and military leadership continue dissociating themselves from armed persons wearing Russian-like uniform without distinctive signs, who have taken under siege the Ukrainian military sites, airports and roads throughout Crimea, Russian guns, equipment, transport vehicles and helicopters.

For the time being, Russian Navy is blocking Sevastopol Bay and Striletska Bay with Ukrainian ships inside them. Ukrainian Defense Ministry informs of numerous provocations, notably attempts to seize the Ukrainian ships or to persuade under intimidation the Ukrainian Navy staff to surrender to the Russian or so called “Crimean” sides.

The same attempts are reported to be undertaken in relation the servicemen of Ukrainian Armed Forces, blocked on their sites across the Crimean peninsula: in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Kirovske, Feodosiya, Yevpatoria, Kerch, Bakhchisarai, Perevalne etc, as well as towards the Ukrainian border guards. After rejecting offers to betray Ukraine they and their families face continuing threats and insults.

Even under these difficult circumstances Ukrainian servicemen exercise restraint and do not respond to provocations in order to prevent further escalation of tensions.

The Russian Federation consistently justifies its military aggression in Ukraine with ungrounded pretext of protecting the Russian-speaking community amid alleged chaos and destabilization in Ukraine. In this connection I again reiterate that there are no objective grounds for such allegations.   

The 2012 Language Law, in particular, will remain valid until new language legislation, being fully in line with the Ukrainian Constitution and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, is adopted.

In order to ensure full transparency in the area of human rights protection the Ukrainian Government has invited a Human Rights Assessment Mission (HRAM) to Ukraine. This mission already starts its deployment in Ukraine today.

The main purpose of the Mission is to assess the human rights situation in Crimea, including minority rights, against the background of the recent developments in Ukraine.

The HRAM is undertaken by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities within their respective mandates. I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s readiness to provide all possible assistance to the work of the Mission.

Over the recent days the national unity was outspokenly demonstrated by Ukrainian people, who crowded the streets of Ukrainian cities throughout Ukraine to say No to war. “I am a Russian speaker and don’t need protection!” – has become a popular slogan in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Donetsk, Kherson and many other southern and eastern Ukrainian cities.          

Thus, the single destabilizing factor in Ukraine today are illegal actions of Russian servicemen in Crimea and continuing violation by the Russian Federation of its commitments under bilateral and multilateral agreements, in particular the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

We witness that the Russian Federation encourages unlawful actions of the separatist forces in Crimea, including so-called elections of new “prime minister of Crimea” and voting for “referendum of 30 March”, both took place in the sieged building of the local parliament, in the presence of unnamed armed persons, without civil control and media coverage. I emphasize that these decisions are illegitimate as contradicting the Constitution and other laws of Ukraine.

In impeding the freedom of movement, the so-called “Crimean authorities” have made security checkpoints on both entry ways to the peninsula. We are aware of the reports that the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the CiO’s Personal Envoy on Ukraine faced troubles in entering Crimea via these checkpoints on 4 March.

We are concerned about the facts of impeding the activities of OSCE representatives in Ukraine. The potential of the OSCE is to be fully applied in the present situation to assist its peaceful resolution. We therefore welcome the visits of Ambassador Guldimann, CiO’s Personal Envoy on Ukraine, Mrs. Astrid Thors, High Commissioner on National Minorities, as well as Mrs. Dunja Mijativic, Representative on the Freedom of Media to Ukraine, including Crimea. I look forward to their reports will provide us with comprehensive evaluation of the situation on the ground and help sharpening our grasp of security threats, stemming from events in Crimea, and the ways of addressing them.

We note with satisfaction that 23 OSCE participating States decided to send 43 unarmed military personnel to Ukraine in response to our request under Chapter III of the Vienna Document 2011. Ukraine is providing the military personnel, who are already in Ukraine for a weeklong mission, with necessary assistance on the ground.

The early establishment of a special monitoring mission with a view to reducing tensions and fostering peace and stability in Ukraine can play an important role in the process of political settlement of the crisis.

We call on all participating States, including the Russian Federation, to engage constructively to speedily finalize consultations on draft mandate of the monitoring mission.

As the way forward Ukraine reiterates its call on the Russian Federation to renew full implementation of imperative norms of international law, to renew full implementation of the OSCE founding principles, enshrined in 1975 Helsinki Final Act, to renew full implementation of bilateral and multilateral agreements with Ukraine and to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities on any issue of interest.

Thank you!