Mr. Chairperson,   

I would like to start by thanking our Romanian colleagues for co-organizing the Black Sea Conference in Bucharest last week. 

It was an important endeavor within the Crimea Platform aimed to present a common vision for a peaceful and prosperous future of the Black Sea region. 

As Minister Kuleba said at the Black Sea Conference and I quote: “the Black Sea is a showcase of how rapidly things can deteriorate if one neglects threats. For years, Russia has been saber-rattling and militarizing in front of us. Georgia, Ukraine, Syria, and Ukraine again – Moscow was launching one brutal attack after another. Many chose to believe that Russians had “their own truth”. But the one and only truth is that Russia has always prepared for a big imperialistic war with an end goal of holding another “Yalta” conference to divide Europe into spheres of influence.”

We believe that OSCE being the biggest regional Organization must not only keep a close eye on the developments in this strategically important region for European and Euro-Atlantic security as well as for global food security but also take proactive part in addressing enormous threats and risks created by russia to all other OSCE participating States and its partners.

Therefore, we expect that the OSCE will actively engage in further activities within the Crimea Platform.

On the margins of this Conference, the joint statement of Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova was also declared.  

The three countries committed to “continue to work together, as long as necessary, to support the right to choose freely one’s own foreign policy and alliances, to exercise legitimate self-defense, to build resilience and to ensure stability, security and prosperity in the Black Sea region” by underlining that “the enlargement of the European Union as well as enhanced cooperation with NATO are pivotal in this respect”.

This joint commitment of three countries is an example of the need to further consolidate our solidarity and unity in the face of the ongoing russia’s war of aggression, as well as resoluteness to act to stop this war.

Otherwise, it would mean a missed chance to build more secure and just order in Europe.

The trajectory of russian crimes after the occupation of Crimea clearly shows that the only provocation for putin’s further escalation was our hesitation to act.

To elaborate an effective strategy towards moscow, it is time to accept that there would be no good russia in the near future.

Neither for business contacts and political visits nor for cooperation within international organizations. Including the OSCE. 

New reports about chilling crimes prove that the kremlin regime continues to fall down with its criminal track record.   

Just a few days after the horrific video about de-capitating the Ukrainian POW we were shocked with testimonies of the russian soldiers about the crimes committed in Soledar and Bakhmut, including about killing of children and teenagers.

Just one quote from this new video testimony, and I quote: “She is screaming, she’s a little kid. Five, maybe six years old. And I took a kill shot. I wasn’t supposed to let anyone out. The order was to do a sweep, to liquidate everyone who was on my way”.

The Prosecutor’s General Office of Ukraine has already initiated relevant criminal proceedings to establish and verify the facts revealed in video. 

However, even this one quotation is enough to evaluate what a threat russia poses to people on the occupied territories.

This is enough to admit that any compromises with russia would mean nothing else but new deaths of Ukrainians, including minors.

This is enough to acknowledge that the only hope for those in the occupied territories is the liberation of all Ukrainian territories. 

And by their deeds russians prove that there is nothing sacred for them.

On Orthodox Good Friday, 14 of April, the russain terrorists shelled the city of Sloviansk with S-300 missiles.

Let me remind, that Sloviansk was the first city to be seized by russians on the 12^th of April for three months, nine years ago.  

This time, this one strike alone damaged and destroyed over 50 residential buildings.

More than 20 people were injured and 15 died.

Among them was two-year boy Maksym. He was at home with his dad.

“They took the baby out of the house and immediately brought him to the ambulance, they didn’t let me sit with him, I was in the front seat. We went down the road, we drove about five hundred meters, and suddenly the doctor’s voice came from behind: “I can’t help you with anything.” He died. Stopped breathing. And I broke down”.

These are the words of Maksym’s mother about last minutes with her small son.

And may anyone give a bit of advice to this mother on how not to “provoke” russian terrorists to attack Ukrainian families?

Let me give you another example. During April 15, the day of Orthodox Easter, russians fired 25 S-300 missile targeting peaceful cities of Zaporizhzhia, Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Snihurivka, Mykolaiv region.

In Komyshuvakha they destroyed a church.

They did this at night when people were supposed to be in the church for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.

Apparently, the attack was planned to inflict as many casualties as possible. This is how russia walks with God and respects his commandments not to kill.    

While some international officials still fight hypocritically for the participation of russian athletes in the competitions, Ukrainian sports physician Volodymyr Dudka lost his family, a wife and daughter, last Saturday, just on the eve of Easter due to shelling of Kherson by russia.  

Terrorist attacks continue on daily basis. On April 18, russian shelled a market in the city of Ukrainsk, Donetsk region – eight persons were injured, and the center of Kherson – one person killed and nine wounded.

On the same day, Sloviansk was again hit with S-300 missiles.

Yesterday, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa regions were under an attack of Iranian drones.

It is time for the hard truth – this russia under president putin is a European ISIS.

The ideology of this state is based on a blend of perverted history, instrumentalized church and criminal impunity.

It is time to admit that this russia will never be a partner for the OSCE, but a threat to the OSCE participating states and to its own people.

The recent verdict against Vladimir Kara-Murza is a telling example in this regard.

And yesterday’s news that a 70 year-old pensioner was fined by the moscow court for expressing compliments to President Zelenskyy during a private conversation is a verdict to the kremlin’s regime. 

 

Dear colleagues,

A week ago, there was the first anniversary of the sinking of the Moskva flagship in the Black Sea by the Ukrainian missiles Neptun.

Apart from the Black Sea Fleet flagship, in the course of the last year, the “second strong” army lost about 3660 tanks, 7000 armoured vehicles, 2800 artillery systems, 530 MLRS, 308 aircrafts, 293 helicopters.

Moscow fired hundreds of missiles worthing millions of dollars in its futile attempts to break the Ukrainian power grid.   

Despite heavy losses of military equipment, the kremlin’s regime undertakes new innovative efforts to mobilize more russians for the aggressive war against Ukraine, thus, further undermining the future prospects of the russian state.

And vladimir putin, a suspect wanted by the International Criminal Court, continued his foreign tour in the occupied territories of Ukraine in vain attempts to cheer up his occupation forces.   

In the meantime, Belarus, russia’s accomplice, helps to legitimize war criminals by welcoming in Minsk a representative of russia’s occupation administration in Donetsk.

We call Minsk to refrain from destructive steps and stop supporting russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine.

Against this background, the russian foreign minister again tries to convince the world that “moscow wants the conflict to end as soon as possible”.

And russia really can do that. There are clear ten steps as stipulated by the peace formula of President Zelenskyy.

The withdrawal of all russian troops from Ukraine and restoration of internationally recognized borders of our state must be a starting point.  

As simple as it is. In line with international law. In the interests of the international community.

And for the sake of secure and prosperous future of all OSCE participating States.

Because respect for internationally recognized borders must be the only realities recognized on the ground.

As the russian war of aggression demonstrates, this is the best guarantee against new crimes and mass killings, abductions and repressions, forced deportation and assimilation.

 

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.