Mister Chairperson,

First of all, I would like to thank once again the OSCE Chairpersonship for convening a special PC meeting two days ago as well as all the delegations of participating States and Partners for Co-operation for their support and messages of condolence.

Regrettably, every such special meeting of the Permanent Council means more innocent lives lost, more destruction, more war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Russian regime.

And all nine of those innocent children from Kryvyi Rih would be alive today if Russia had accepted a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire on March 11.

As Ukraine did.

And hundreds of children would be with us today if Russia had not decided to launch an unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine in 2014.

Tomorrow, on April 11, we were supposed to have a month of ceasefire.

Instead, the world sees more conditions and deception from Moscow.

Instead, the OSCE is witnessing a ton of lies from Russian diplomats as Moscow looks for an excuse to blame Ukraine and continue the war.

Instead, Russia has stepped up its attacks on peaceful Ukrainian cities.

Against the backdrop of the disgusting attack on Kryvyi Rih, a Kremlin spokesman cynically stated that "Putin supports the idea of a ceasefire [...] but a number of issues need to be resolved and they are “hanging in the air”.

If anything is hanging in the air, it is Russian missiles, drones and artillery shells.

Last week was no exception.

On the night of April 10 Russia attacked Ukraine with 145 drones; on April 9 – with 55 drones; on April 8, with 46 drones and a ballistic missile; on April 6 – with 23 missiles and 109 drones; on April 5 – with 92 drones; on April 4 – with 78 drones.

In the 15 days of the “energy ceasefire”, the Russian army killed more Ukrainians than in the same period before.

Thus, between 25 March and 8 April, the Russians carried out six massive attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing 36 people, including 9 children.

The attacks on Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and other regions continue unabated.

Just yesterday 11 people were taken to hospitals in Dnipro and Kharkiv.

In Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, a child – an 11-year-old girl – was wounded.

In the village of Bilyi Kolodyaz, Kharkiv region, Russians attacked the village council building with an FPV drone during the distribution of humanitarian aid.

In Mykolaiv, ten people were wounded during the night.

Among other things, the missile attack on April 6 targeted and severely damaged the offices of the Ukrainian Foreign Broadcasting in Kyiv. And we are grateful to the RFoM for his prompt reaction and principled stance.

During this attack Russia also launched missiles from the Black Sea.

This is yet another reason why Russia rejects a full and unconditional ceasefire.

Moscow wants to retain its ability to strike our cities and ports from the sea.

But, as President Zelenskyy stressed, a maritime ceasefire is not only about the freedom of navigation and trade, it is primarily about security and the protection of human life.

And despite the ongoing negotiations, the intensity of the offensive is only increasing. Last week, there were an average of 160 combat engagements a day.

The appearance of the Chinese on the battlefield is further proof that Moscow is not interested in peace but is also taking steps to expend the war.

Moreover, these days Vladimir Putin discussed with his accomplice the organization of the military exercises "Zapad-2025" in September this year.

The same exercises that in 2021 were used to cover the creation of an offensive group of troops on the northern border with Ukraine.

From the perspective of this day, has Russia used the opportunity offered by the United States to demonstrate its goodwill and build at least a minimum of trust?

No, Moscow has used the last 30 days to manipulate diplomatic efforts, to escalate the war and kill as many Ukrainians as possible, trying to break our resistance through terror.

Esteemed colleagues,

Ukraine will make every effort to end the war and restore a just peace.

My country will continue to work constructively with all its partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, European allies, the G7 under Canada’s leadership, and all other countries of goodwill, to facilitate efforts to achieve peace.

And we stress that this peace must be inclusive, just and sustainable. In accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

A peace that does not compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, Ukraine's ability to defend itself, and Ukraine's sovereign right to determine its future.

And a peace that restores justice and ensures accountability.

Therefore, we welcome the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council of the resolution “Situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression”.

We are grateful to all States that supported this resolution, which extends the mandate of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine for another year.

The deadly terrorist attack in Kryvyi Rih on the same day as the adoption of this resolution is also a stark reminder of why these efforts must continue to ensure that no perpetrator escapes accountability.

Colleagues, in recent weeks we have received too many proofs that Russia remains the only reason for the prolongation of this war.

As President Zelenskyy said, “Every Russian promise end with missiles or drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them. And that’s why pressure is needed – enough pressure on Russia to make them feel the consequences of their every lie, of every strike, of every single day they take lives and prolong the war.”

That’s exactly why all forms of pressure on Russia must continue, including by strengthening our ability to defend ourselves, maintaining sanctions, and ensuring that diplomacy leaves no room for them to kill.

Our unity and resolve are the key to forcing Russia to end this war.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.