Mr. Chairperson,  

I would like to thank the Chairpersonship of North Macedonia for inviting Ruslan Strilets, Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and National Resources, as a special guest today.

I am grateful to Minister Strilets for his very detailed briefing. Such briefings are important for shaping our response, as the consequences of the russian terrorist and ecocide act are shocking.    

We also welcome the OSCE’s proactive approach in view of this russia’s crime. We are grateful to the Office of Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities for its readiness to step in, as well as to the Austrian Chair for convening a special expert meeting last Monday.

As we can hear, there is a lot of work ahead of us from short- and long-term perspectives.

This starts from the disinfection of water sources to restoration of energy and other critical infrastructure to preparing a strategy how to save natural parks and arable lands and mitigate risks of soil degradation entailing negative consequences for global food security. We believe the OSCE can effectively contribute with its expertise and toolkit.

Ukraine also closely works with the IAEA to mitigate risks for the ZNPP.

Upon President Zelenskyy’s initiation, the IAEA Director General visited Ukraine on June 13, when Mr. Grossi also presented a possible assistance program. 

The Kherson region is also an emblematic case of human suffering and pain caused by russia’s total disrespect of demands of international humanitarian law.

For eight months of occupation, people lived in fear of being kidnapped or even killed.

Then, constant terrorist shelling of the liberated areas continued for about seven months. Now moscow has decided just to flood people and create an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in the region. It looks like collective punishment for rejecting russia’s occupation, doesn’t it?  Even these days, when people are struggling with the consequences of the terrorist act, Kherson remains under russia’s barrage.

Two days ago, a rescue team was shelled. Eight workers were injured and one, unfortunately, killed.

The situation in the occupied territories is even worse. Russia’s denial of access to the UN agencies further aggravates it.

Aid cannot be denied to people who need it.

However, russia, an aggressor state, can easily ban international actors from helping people in need to cover up its crimes. Not for the first time.

Russia continues to terrorize settlements with air strikes and artillery fire also in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy regions.

Only during June 20, russia carried out more than 45 airstrikes and about 70 MLRS attacks on Ukrainian settlements.

Unfortunately, civilians suffered. Even naming all settlements hit by russia would take all my speaking time.  

In addition, the threat of missile attacks across Ukraine remains high. They take place almost every day. Just a few examples.

At night, June 20, russia massively shelled Zaporizhzhia, hitting an agricultural enterprise in the village of Rozumivka. Seven S-300 and one Iskander-M missile were fired.

On June 19, russia fired four cruise missiles Kalibr.

Kyiv faced one of the biggest attacks on June 16.

A day before, russia attacked the Dnipropetrovsk region with Kh-101/555 missiles.  

On June 14, at least 4 people were killed, 13 were injured as a result of the russian missile attack on Odesa.

On June 13, 13 people, including a child, were killed and 36 people were injured as a result of the night russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih.

These missile attacks are traditionally accompanied by launches of the Iranian drones.

Dear colleagues,

Recent statements of the russian president about intentions to create a “sanitary zone” in Ukraine again testify that moscow has not changed its goals but wants to dismantle Ukraine’s statehood.

The reactivation by moscow of old disinformation campaign about a ‘dirty bomb” – a lie already dispelled by the IAEA in its statement yesterday – and about combat mosquitos could signal about possible new provocations.

In view of such genocidal statements, the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, as well as reports about the ZNPP and Armiansk plant “Crimean Titan” being partly mined are a stark reminder that all necessary steps must be taken to prevent new terrorist acts and end the impunity of the russian regime.

Launching one of the largest missile attacks on Kyiv on June 16, amid the visit of African leaders to our capital, speaks volumes that russia wants war, not peace.

This also underlines the need to redouble our efforts to implement the Ukrainian peace formula.      

The intensity of missile attacks also demands from us concrete actions to destroy the very foundations for the production of new missiles by a terrorist state.

These actions should consist of improving the sanction regime, closing any existing gaps and tightening export controls over critical components and microelectronics russia desperately needs for its war machine.   

Crimes committed by russia on a daily basis clearly show that there is no alternative to the liberation of all Ukrainian lands from the russian occupation.

Restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk regions and over the Crimean peninsula is the only way to protect people there.   

We will do it gradually and systematically, step by step. We are grateful to our partners for their renewed commitment, including during the recent Rammstein format meeting, to support Ukraine in our fight for freedom and an independent future.

However, as the fight for freedom continues, people in the occupation need our support. A letter shared by First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova from Osman Arifmemetov, sentenced by russia to 14 years in prison, tells a lot about why this support matters.

Let me quote him: “Ban from freedom destroys the sense of reality. But even a handful of good news gives wings”. Therefore, further active participation of the OSCE and its participating States in the Crimea Platform activities is crucial to inspire people with a hope that their freedom is close.     

Colleagues, while our eyes are on the battlefield, diplomats and politicians have their own frontline as important as the military one.

The rebuilding of Ukraine is another indispensable element of Ukraine’s victory and russia’s defeat.

As President Zelenskyy stated earlier this week, “a transformed and strengthened Ukraine would be an important element of the protection against any repetition of russian aggression”.

We are grateful to our UK partners for convening and to other partners for the participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is taking place in London as we speak.

No doubt, today’s aggressor will pay its part for Ukraine’s future reconstruction. Finalization of the international compensation mechanism is a must. Likewise, frozen russia’s assets should be used to cover the damages caused by the russian aggression.     

However, Ukraine’s recovery must go hand in hand with improved security.

The upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12 should be marked by a decisive historical step towards Ukraine's membership in NATO.

As President Zelenskyy stated during the London Conference, “Ukraine already belongs to the EU space of values, and we already belong to NATO security space de-facto”. And currently Ukraine is sacrificing a lot to protect both – common values and common security.   

It is time to acknowledge this reality politically and to free Europe from grey zones of insecurity which only invite russia’s aggression.

This would be a geopolitical defeat of putin’s russia and a chance for a new russia to be born. We have to grasp this opportunity to build a more prosperous and secure Europe.

Today it is more than obvious that russia repeats crimes committed both by the Nazi and Communist regimes on Ukrainian soil in the past.

Therefore, we must restore historical justice.

Through the creation of a special tribunal against russian aggression.

And by bringing russian warmongers and their accomplices to justice.

 

I thank you, Mr. Chair.