Mr. Chairperson,  

With every day of the aggressive war against the Ukrainian people, russia adds new arguments why it must be recognized as a terrorist state as soon as possible.

Since the beginning of May, russia has conducted nine waves of missile attacks on Kyiv.

Every two days. Not to mention other places throughout the country.

As it became known, they are carried out during the night-time both to cause as many casualties as possible and make an adverse impact on the mental health of the civilians.

This night was not an exception, 29 of 30 missiles were shot down over Ukraine.

Meanwhile, May 16 attack on Kyiv was exceptional in its density.

25 missiles of various types were launched from the north, south, and east directions to attack the capital of Ukraine.

Namely, six “Kinzhal” missiles, nine Kalibr cruise missiles, and ten land-based missiles (S-400, "Iskander-M") were fired. Not to mention Iranian Shaheds.

Russians tried to combine ballistics, cruise missiles and drones at once.

As President Zelenskyy described this combination – “russia is trying very hard to improve its ability to kill”.

Thanks to systems provided by our partners, moscow’s murderous plans have once again failed. This joint success proves that together we can do much more in saving human lives.     

However, this attack I mentioned was a bitter experience for the civilians to be in the city and see rockets flying overhead, as my father and my daughter have personally told.

As the kremlin’s envoys like to complain in the OSCE about “serious and professional diplomacy”, my colleagues as well as foreign diplomats in Kyiv have limited possibilities to perform their duties as they are forced to live under russia’s missiles.  

Over the past month, russia has also increased terrorist attacks in the border regions, namely Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions.

Only in the last week, between May 8 and 16, russian troops carried out 162 shelling of the mentioned areas.

There were 110 shellings of the Sumy region. In the Chernihiv region - 29. Kharkiv region - 23

In violation of international humanitarian law civilian objects are the main targets.  

Neither is the situation in other regions better.

On Tuesday, russians fired two Kalibr missiles at a grocery store in Mykolaiv.

On Wednesday, Odesa and region were attacked. On Sunday, Ternopil.

Yesterday, a russian rocket claimed life of 5-year-old boy and two adults in the Kherson region.

The child died in the hands of his farther who tried to take the son to the hospital.

At the same time the protection of hospitals by international humanitarian law in the Kherson region are not respected by russia as it must be. Yesterday a hospital was hit in Beryslav.

Let me remind that just in February we had an opportunity to listen to testimonies of survivors exactly from Beryslav.

As they said in February, people want to return to their liberated homes. Visit their relatives. Take care of their elderly parents.

But they can’t because of russia’s constant shelling.

Dear colleagues, 

It’s about people, as the CIO rightly said.

Ukraine’s success and the OSCE’s future rest on the shoulders of ordinary people. These ordinary people are doing incredible things on the ground.

Despite the enormous pressure faced by ZNPP staff, they are doing their best and even more to ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine during the ongoing russian war. Their dedicated work speaks for them. 

Thanks to the sacrifice of defenders, Ukraine not only holds Bakhmut, but also started to regain territory around the city.

20 square kilometers were liberated. Like the other areas will be.

We have to face the hard truth, that while Ukrainians are defending themselves to merely protect their right to live, russians come from russia to deliberately kill Ukrainians.

There are no half-tones. Only white and black. Only life and death. It is impossible to shape a compromise between these extremes.  

Based on his personal experience of repelling the russian threat, Commander-in-Chief Valeliy Zaluzhyi recently said that “russians are suffering tremendous losses. In particular, in the Donetsk operational direction and in the Bakhmut area. And only one conclusion can be drawn from that: the cheapest thing this country [russia] has - is human life. It's the cheapest it can be. In our country [in Ukraine], on the contrary, it is the most expensive”.

Because to lose 201 000 personnel can afford only those regimes who do not care about its own people, their future and their country.

There is nothing to say about kremlin’s intention with regard to people living in Ukraine or any other country moscow has appetite for.  Russia's attempts to stop grain export from Ukraine tell a lot.

Therefore, we are grateful to Türkiye and the UN for their ongoing efforts in putting the Black Sea Grain Initiative back on track

Furthermore, yesterday’s verdict against Oleksandr Sizikov, Alim Sufyanov, Seyran Hayredinov is yet another grim reminder about the Crimean Tatars people deportation in 1944, the day of which we mark today.

Whether it is a tsarist empire, a soviet prison, or modern russia, moscow replicates the same cycle of violence based on its impunity.

This should serve as a reminder that people in the occupied territories will live in fear of repression, human rights violations and even being killed until Ukraine restores its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.   

In view of this, let me stress, that there is no country in the world that wants peace more than Ukraine.

But not at any cost. Not in a way that would mean more suffering for our people. Not in a way that would do more harm to global security.

Ukraine's vision of the path to such peace is both realistic and specific.

President Zelenskyy outlined it in his Peace Formula, points of which were supported by the UN General Assembly in its Resolution of 23 February 2023.

Therefore, uniting our efforts to implement this formula would be the most valuable contribution to achieving peace in Europe.

Providing Ukraine with F-16s, tanks, long-range missiles, air and missile defence systems, and ammunition will be the best long-term investment in the continent's future.

Granting Ukraine full-fledged membership in NATO and the EU would be a game-changer for Euro-Atlantic security and a strong democratic impetus for the region Ukraine belongs to.

No doubts, there will be no reliable peace without justice.

That’s why let me express Ukraine’s gratitude to Iceland for their exemplary Presidency in the Council of Europe and a historical Summit that just concluded its work.

As Secretary General Burić rightly mentioned, “Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe will be remembered as a place of reaffirmed determination, where the democratic renewal began”. 

We believe that the OSCE as the Organization will shoulder these efforts with its own determination and available toolbox.

As well as we are grateful to those participating States who joined a treaty creating a register of damage for Ukraine.

This brings us closer to the creation of a full-fledged Compensation Mechanism.

Likewise, there is no alternative to the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression that would bring us closer to a more just order in Europe.

Dear colleagues,

Allow me to conclude my statement with words of appreciation.

It is very inspiring and touching to see such a wide diversity of Vyshyvanka today in the OSCE. We are grateful to all. This is the best evidence that Ukraine is in your hearts, that you are with us. 

Thanks to your support and solidarity, thanks to the hand of help rendered to the Ukrainian people, today we have this opportunity to celebrate Ukrainian identity and the OSCE’s diversity. We will keep this memory in our hearts forever.

 

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.