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President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Lisa Doughten from OCHA and Caitlin Howarth from the Yale Humanitarian Lab have shone an important light on the grave humanitarian consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Every discussion on the war in Ukraine must start by restating, unequivocally, an overriding fact: Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression constitutes a manifest violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and the resolutions of the General Assembly.

This is why, first, Russia must uphold international law and cease its attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure now; second, Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for their war of aggression – a P5 member that tramples on the UN Charter has heightened responsibilities, not lower ones; and third, all nations – North and South, East and West -- must come together in support of a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in Ukraine.

President,

These past weeks, Russia has continued its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, destroying a significant portion of Ukraine’s energy generation capacity. Many thousands of Ukrainians now lack access to electricity. Its missile attacks also continue on Odesa and other Black Sea ports, threatening the freedom of navigation and hindering grain and other deliveries to the global market. Russia continues to weaponize food and deliberately undermines global food security. Such systematic air strikes against Ukraine’s civilians and civilian and critical infrastructure in and of themselves violate international humanitarian law and must stop immediately and unconditionally. Indeed, there are credible reports of Russia using ‘double-tap strikes,’ where the second attack hits rescue workers.

Russia’s indiscriminate attacks further exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation in Ukraine, with over 14 million people in need of assistance. In response, the EU and its Member States have stepped up the provision of humanitarian and civil protection assistance, including power generators and power transformers. Russia has an obligation to allow humanitarian aid to reach all those in need, by enabling full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access through the front lines and to stop withholding aid from people in need in the areas it has temporarily occupied.

We recall the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice of March 2022, for Russia to immediately suspend its military operations in Ukraine. Third parties must immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s war of aggression.

Secondly, Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression and for other most serious crimes under international law, as well as for the massive damage they have caused. The EU is firmly committed to ensuring full accountability for all crimes committed, including victims’ rights to justice and reparation, as well as guarantees of non-repetition. We are working with all relevant multilateral and regional actors to achieve this: there can be no impunity for these crimes.

Thirdly, we reiterate our support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. To this end, the aggressor must immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with the resolutions of the General Assembly.  We welcome Switzerland’s initiative to host a Summit on Peace in Ukraine next month and call on all states to participate. The international community must reaffirm the centrality of international law, including the UN Charter and its principles.

In closing, I reaffirm the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The EU will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

As for Russia, stop your systematic and brutal bombing of Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure right now. Stop your illegal war, and the illegal means you are using to pursue it.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.