Dear Chair, Minister, 

Secretary General, 

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the OSCE Chair of Finland for their unwavering support for Ukraine in the context of Russia’s ongoing barbaric war of aggression against my country.

At this crucial time for overall security in the OSCE area the Chairpersonship continues to stand firm by the OSCE principles and commitments agreed upon by all participating States. Even by those who openly neglect them.

I am here today to speak on behalf of a nation that continues to fight a war of survival. A war which is deeply rooted in Russia’s colonial mindset. Such a mindset is fully incompatible with the principles and commitments of the OSCE.

While we gathered here to review security, Russia continues to spread insecurity, even far beyond the OSCE region. 

Its war of aggression against Ukraine has already proved to be the biggest threat to security, international law, rules-based order and the whole civilised world since the World War II. And this is a war of choice for Moscow, deliberate policy.

Despite international peace efforts Russia clearly demonstrates that it is not interested in peace. On the contrary, Putin is doing everything possible to prolong the war and extend its consequences.

Russia`s strategy is deception, aimed at creating an illusion of the diplomatic process. Russia's goal is to mislead our partners and delay sanctions. Russia is trying to buy time in order to occupy further Ukrainian territory. Russian missiles, Iranian Shahed drones and high-calibre artillery systems from North Korea are not the only Russian weapons of war.

Moscow is weaponizing state-run and state-funded propaganda. Its malign activities in Europe have become even more blatant. Russian military technologies have found their way to North Korea, undermining global non-proliferation and feeding the belligerent ambitions of another international outlaw.

Unable to break the heroic resistance of the Defence Forces of Ukraine, Russia has intensified its campaign of terror against the civilian population of Ukraine.

While Ukraine targets Russian military infrastructure, exercising its right to self-defence according to the UN Charter, Russia deliberately strikes residential buildings, cultural heritage, hospitals and maternity houses, schools and kindergartens.

Terror has become an integral part of the aggressive Russian military strategy.

One of such terrorist attacks was carried out by Moscow just yesterday, with a massive aerial strike on the city of Dnipro killing 20 and injuring more than 300 civilians. Including 27 children.

The city, with population of around 1 million, was attacked by the Russian terrorist people right in the middle of the day, causing unprecedented damage to civilian infrastructure: 50 high-raise buildings, almost 40 educational facilities – from kindergartens to vocational schools, eight medical facilities, the Organ Concert Hall, Saints Peter and Paul Church, the Ice Arena, one penitentiary, a bakery, buildings of city administration and many other sites, which Putin identifies as “military targets”.

Many people were injured in the passenger train “Odesa – Zaporizhzhia“on its way to its destination via the city of Dnipro.

Pure terror! Nothing but!

Daily massive aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages have no military justification. Russian state terrorism is evidently meant to break the spirit of our people and force Ukraine to capitulate.

But let me be very clear: Ukraine will not surrender.

At the very same time, it is also clear that Russia will not stop unless it is stopped.

It is high time all illusions were abandoned. Russia can only be forced into peace. The language of force is the only one Putin understands.

The road to peace cannot be paved with appeasement. Neither can peace be achieved through ambiguous compromises with Ukraine’s sovereignty, national identity or territorial integrity.

Salami slicing Ukraine is exactly what appeasement means. More properly to be called apiecement. Piece by piece. 

Let’s face facts: any initiative based on compromised principles, will, sooner or later, bring us to total ruination of the European security order.

Any peace initiative, which ignores this fact, is nothing more than an invitation to future, even more devastating, wars.

What we need is a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days or more as a first step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter.

Confidence-building measures would be instrumental in this regard, in particular the return of deported Ukrainian children and unlawfully detained civilians, as well as the exchange of prisoners of war in “all-for-all” format.

And to make this happen pressure on Russia must be intensified. New robust sanctions must be introduced. Frozen Russian assets must be repurposed to support both Ukraine’s recovery and its defence sector. This is not only a matter of law, but also a moral imperative.

I would like to thank all those countries and people, who have been standing by Ukraine in these dark times for the whole Europe. International military and economic support for Ukraine remains vitally important for our resilience. And this is the best investment in peace and security in Europe.

Dear Colleagues, 

Unfortunately, among the nameplates of the participating States at the table we share today, there is still a bloody one – named “the Russian Federation”. It means the Russian crisis is ongoing within OSCE, and the whole organisation remains poisoned by the Russian malignant participation.

This crisis has culminated in ongoing brutal and illegal detention of three OSCE officials by Russia. The names of Maksym Petrov, Dmytro Shabanov and Vadym Golda became a stark reminder of the real value of Russian participation in the OSCE.

These people must be released immediately and unconditionally.

But even in such a critical situation the OSCE’s practical contribution in Ukraine has been possible thanks to our shared will and commitment.

OSCE projects dealing with the painful issues of children, illegally deported to the Russian Federation, and the successful implementation of several other war-related projects are of great value.

On a separate note, I would like to thank all those participating States which support the activities of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairpersonship - Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine. 

In the current situation the OSCE’s activities on documenting Russian crimes as well as the implementation of meaningful OSCE projects, based on the war-related needs of Ukraine, should remain a priority.

I would like to repeat what was already said on numerous occasions: Ukraine stands for peace more than anyone else in this world.

But Russia meets our willingness for peace and our readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire with new war crimes. Its atrocities include mass killings, torture, forced deportation of children, executions of prisoners of war, intimidation and nuclear blackmail.

So, we must deliver justice.

We believe that the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression is not just a legal necessity – it is a historical imperative.  

It is our mission not to let Moscow, Pyongyang, Minsk, Tehran and other authoritarian regimes and their accomplices think that war crimes can be tolerated, internationally recognised borders can be changed by force, sovereign right of states to freely choose their future can be vetoed and that dictators can act with impunity.

The future of our children and grandchildren depends on the actions we take and decisions we make today. And we must do whatever it takes to ensure that peace, security and prosperity are our legacy for them.  

I thank you.