Thank you Madam Chair. At the last Closing Session of the Forum, under the Finnish Chair, we called on Russia to end its escalating pattern of attacks on Ukraine during winter and to engage with negotiations in good faith.
Unfortunately, as we have done each week at this Forum since February 2022, we have continued to document Russia’s intensifying pace of attacks. Last month, Russia fired 282 missiles – a new record for this war. That number included 132 ballistic or hypersonic missiles fired – another record. On 13-14 March, Russia launched 430 drones and 64 missiles. This was the largest missile attack since February, and the largest since 2024. And we are deeply concerned by reports from yesterday of a drone strike on the Bernardine Monastery in Lviv – a UNESCO Heritage Site. As we heard from Ukraine today, this was part of the largest attacks on Ukraine to date.
Despite the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, these attacks continue to have dire humanitarian consequences. This year Russian attacks have already killed at least 450 civilians and injured over 2,180 more. Since the full-scale invasion over 15,400 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and over 42,800 injured.
Madam Chair, these are not the actions of a State seeking peace. The only obstruction to peace is Russia’s continued willingness to fight a war of aggression that it started. A war that violates international law and contravenes the Helsinki Decalogue.
The path to peace also remains clear. Russia must return to full compliance with international law and the Helsinki Final Act. Russia must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia must cease attacks, withdraw all of its forces from all of Ukraine, and to engage seriously in negotiations.
Thank you.