Thank you, President and I echo Greece’s thanks for your stewardship of the Council in August. I’d also like to thank to ASG Jenca for briefing us this afternoon.
I also look forward to the participation of Her Excellency, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, in today’s meeting.
Only yesterday, the representative of the Russian Federation stood just outside this chamber and said to the media, I quote, “We believe in peace. We believe in democracy.”
Yet Russia’s attack on Ukraine just the night before was one of the largest aerial attacks of its war.
Russia says it believes in peace and diplomacy.
Such brutal attacks say the opposite.
Russia deployed nearly 600 drones and 31 missiles in an attack that hit civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Among the homes and buildings destroyed in Kyiv, the British Council and the EU Delegation suffered extensive damage.
Deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and civilian objects is a violation of international humanitarian law.
At least 23 people, including four children, were killed by these strikes, and dozens more were wounded.
We extend our condolences to the families and friends of those killed.
It has been reported that among the children who were killed, the youngest was 2 years old.
The Kremlin’s actions reflect no desire for peace or diplomacy that I can detect.
We are appalled by the suffering that Russia has inflicted on civilians, including a guard at the British Council office who was among those injured and hospitalised.
We are equally outraged by the damage these strikes caused to the neighbouring EU Delegation building.
But if Russia thinks it can intimidate us, it is wrong.
This will only strengthen UK and Western resolve to support Ukraine.
These strikes are the actions of a Russian government that is hell-bent on destroying Ukraine and sabotaging international peace efforts.
As my Prime Minister has said, quite simply, this bloodshed must end.
And there remains only one solution Putin must, as Zelenskyy has done repeatedly, agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire immediately.
President, every time I have to deliver a statement which marks another milestone in Russia’s violence, I am joined by 14 of my fellow Council members calling for a cessation of hostilities.
It is easy to sit here and say that there must be peace.
Yes, we all want peace, but only one of us has the power to make that happen immediately.
President Putin had the power to stop this war when we all called for it last month, and the month before that, and the month before that.
All the way back to February 2022.
How many people would still be alive today if President Putin had committed to peace and diplomacy instead of violence back then?
Or better yet, if he had decided not to invade at all?
