Mr. Chairperson,  

Yesterday, late in the evening, my fellow citizens in Ukraine went to bed or rather to bomb shelters due to a drone strike.

24 kamikaze drones were shot down overnight. 

Likewise, this morning, they were woken up again by an air alert because of a massive missile attack.

It was reported that 55 missiles were fired.

Many Ukrainian regions were under attack.

There are killed and wounded, at least, in Kyiv. Energy critical infrastructure was hit in the Odesa region. Before that it was reported about an object hit in the Zaporizhzhia region.

At the same time, from day to day, we learn about russia’s endless attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region; Rozdolivka, Krasna Hora, Bakhmut, Novobakhmutivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, and Charivne, Donetsk region.

russia tries to advance on Lyman, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka directions. 

Fierce battles taking place near the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region.

Despite 11 months of failures and heavy losses, the russian president is preparing for a new wave of aggression.

Clinging to power, putin wants to throw more of his people into fighting.

And Ukrainian defenders pay a high price to keep the russian army at bay and to defend the European freedom and security.

Let me share a story of 34-year-old Vitaliy Shumey, covered this week by the Radio Freedom.

Vitaliy received a serious head wound in Donbas last August.

Since then, he remains immovable. His father Serhiy has not left his bedside for five months.

And Serhiy’s only dream now is to put his son back on the feet.

There are many more such stories saying that there can be no more delays and half-steps.  

Colleagues, we need bold and decisive steps to secure our common victory as well as to end human sufferings.

There is the only way how to stop the russian aggression – with tanks, combat aircrafts and long-range weapons, with new sanctions against russia’s missile and drone industry, energy sector, banking, media, and with new personal restrictions against putin’s cronies.

We need such decisions also to end terrorist attacks on our border areas in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, which russia continues on daily basis.            

Two days ago, a 19-year-old girl was killed in the village of Kucherivka, Sumy region due to artillery fire. Her boyfriend and father were wounded.

For sure, this 19-year-old girl had a plenty of dreams and plans. But her life was cut short by senseless attacks from the russian territory.   

We need such decisions also to bring freedom and respect for human rights back to the Crimean peninsula.

On Tuesday, russian occupation authorities reminded once again about repressive campaigns ongoing in peninsula since 2014 and why no single inch of Ukraine’s land must remain under russia’s control.   

On January 24, searches in Dzhankoy district of the occupied Crimea started early in the morning – at 4:00 AM.

As a result, six more Crimean Tatars Ayder Asanov, Refat Seydametov, Ekrem Krosh, Osman Abdurazakov, Leman Zekiryaev, Khalil Mambetov were illegally detained.

We call upon the OSCE Institutions to document this crime as well as to condemn the illegal actions of the russian occupation administration in Crimea.

Dear colleagues,

However, in addition to the issues we are used to discussing in the OSCE, russia creates new security challenges.

More and more facts are becoming public not only about Wagner’s atrocities in Ukraine, but also about its numerous crimes in Africa.    

We have to take as serious as possible investigations about the Wagner’s presence in one African country and alleged exploitation of its resources to finance the war against Ukraine.   

So, let’s call a spade a spade. The russian PMC Wagner must be listed as a terrorist organization. And the russian leadership is fully behind this organization.

While Wagner actively operates in Africa and undermines its security by supporting coup-d’étas and pro-russian regimes there, russia continues to undermine food security on that continent by delaying inspections of ships within the grain initiative.      

Even more, moscow has decided that it can commit whatever crime it wants, including the robbery of the OSCE property, namely, SMM vehicles.

Let’s be honest, it’s not about cars, but about russia’s attitude towards the Organization.

If russia behaves like a thief, it is time to bring moscow to account.

If russia continues to ruin the OSCE for years, it is time to think what is the added-value of russia’s participation in the Organization. 

In view of this, the russian delegation still tries to convince distinguished participating States that it is a part of solutions and important stakeholder.

But make no mistake. russia is a key to problems that the OSCE is dealing with for decades.

As Minister Kuleba wrote earlier this week, “The entire international community should carefully study the lessons of “Minsk” in order to restore international peace and security today and avoid falling into new russian traps […] While russian representatives kept imitating diplomacy, the kremlin was quietly building up its military forces and planning to destroy the democratic international order with a single devastating blow”.

But have the russians ever stopped imitating the diplomacy?

Despite all these imitations, it is clear that russia has not changed its goals regarding Ukraine, which are to destroy one of the largest states in Europe and exterminate the Ukrainian nation.

By the way, yesterday’s remarks by president putin show that he distorts not only Ukraine’s history but reflects about russia as a guarantor of sovereignty of other European countries. What a nonsense from the 19^th century. 

We have heard in this hall today from the representative of the russian delegation accusations addressed to some countries of attempting to impose “global dominance”.

But after putin’s comments, it becomes clear that it is russia that is really willing to dominate globally. And actually, this is the main reason of the russian war of aggression waged against Ukraine. 

Colleagues, we welcome a decision delivered yesterday by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. russia.

Among other things, this case also concerns the MH17 downing and alleged abduction of three groups of children in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and their temporary transfer to russia.

russia has started to practice the abduction of the Ukrainian children long ago, as a part of a genocidal war of aggression on Ukraine.  

We have also heard today that rights of children are important for the russian federation. So, there is a very simple way to show respect for these rights – start from returning all illegally abducted children to Ukraine.

This Court’s decision is also an important step to dispel russian myths about development in Donbas.

As we see from the latest PC meeting, russia is still trying to twist the truth.

The Court’s finding is yet another reminder that the russian regime never sought fair peace and fair play.

As we all remember very well, in the course of eight years, the russian delegation was denying large-scale deployment of the russian troops, supplies of weapons and military equipment, artillery attacks. But they still do.  

We believe that the forthcoming process in the ECHR, alongside with ongoing investigations, including by the ICC, and our efforts to establish a Special Tribunal, will contribute to the restoration of justice, which is a crucial element of the Peace Formula presented by President Zelenskyy.

And here I can only repeat Minister’s Kuleba call: “russia’s latest statements hint at their wish to secure a new “Minsk” agreement, a new trap for the world.

But what russia really wants is a pause, not peace.

Those who sincerely seek peace should join the consolidated international efforts on implementing the Ukrainian Peace Formula”.

Mr. Chairperson, 

On Sunday, we marked the Day of Unity of Ukraine.

On this day, 105 years ago, the political and legal unification of my country into a single Ukrainian state took place.

It also reminds us that territorial integrity remains a guarantee of Ukraine's prosperity, democracy and respect for human rights.

These are the values that we defend today.

And today we are very grateful to all those countries that stand in unity with Ukraine.

More than ever, it is clear what is the value of unity for the preservation of rules-based order and principles we believe in.

 

I thank you, Mr. Chairperson.