Thank you, Mr Chair.
At the final meeting of the Permanent Council before recess, I expressed a hope that our next meeting would not take place against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Regrettably, not only is Russia’s war continuing unabated today, but we meet in this extraordinary format following a particularly reckless attack.
On the night of 8 January, Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine. Once again, this attack killed and injured innocent civilians, it resulted in damage to a diplomatic premises, this time belonging to Qatar, and the attack on energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands without power and heating in the depths of winter.
Russia’s systematic and cynical tactic of seeking to deprive Ukrainians of warmth and basic necessities at a time of year when temperatures are plummeting to minus 20 and below is deserving of international condemnation. It is barbaric. And we must never allow any participating state to normalise the weaponisation of winter in this way.
But what was different last Thursday night was the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which Russia calls Oreshnik. Russia first deployed this missile against Dnipro in November 2024. This time it struck a site in the region of Lviv, just 50 miles from NATO’s border.
We condemn these irresponsible attacks. It is yet another attempt by President Putin to terrorise the people of Ukraine and to undermine our shared security. Russia has attempted to justify this escalatory action by claiming it was in response to an attack on one of President Putin’s residences. The problem is there was no such attack. This claim was yet another example of Russia seeking to create and manipulate narratives to avoid engaging meaningfully with peace initiatives. Russia not only started this war. It is also doing everything in its power to disrupt efforts to end it.
In contrast, the US, Ukraine and its partners have continued to work hard to secure a just and lasting peace. These efforts have reached their most promising stage, which is what Russia fears. Even Russian doublespeak struggles to bridge the chasm between President Putin’s professed desire for peace and his actions.
President Putin believes he can break the will of the Ukrainian people. He is wrong. The resilience and determination Ukrainians have shown over the nearly four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, remain undimmed.
If Russia’s escalatory actions are also designed to deter partners from supporting Ukraine – then they shall also fail. Alongside our partners, we will continue to ensure that Ukraine gets the military and financial support it needs to defend itself, whilst we also ramp up the pressure on Russia to engage in meaningful negotiations. UK support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine remains iron-clad.
Thank you.