It is 1,289 days since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
So the timing of today’s debate underlines for all of us what is at stake when we talk about ongoing peace efforts.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is a manifest violation of the UN Charter and a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Both of which, for all of us, are enshrined in the UN Charter,
The truth is that the Russian state has temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, and has sought to consolidate control within them with violence.
They have sought to eliminate any trace of Ukrainian statehood and identity through repression.
We know exactly what Russia’s invasion and violation of the UN Charter mean for Ukrainian civilians in these territories.
It means severe restrictions on their freedom of association, their freedom of movement, and their freedom of religious belief.
It means systematic detention of innocent civilians, and forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.
It means lack of access to humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable.
It means erasure of Ukrainian cultural heritage, and despicable attempts to militarise their youth.
It means rape and sexual violence, which have been used repeatedly by Russia as tools of war.
The human toll of President Putin’s continued illegal, unjustifiable invasion against Ukraine is immense.
For many of the 1.5 million people living in the temporarily occupied territories, these horrors are a daily reality.
This reality is unacceptable.
As the Russian state continues to terrorise civilians in the territories it occupies, using arbitrary detention, torture, and indoctrination as instruments of control, Ukraine has consistently sought a commitment to peace.
But the appalling attacks on civilians over the last week have made Russia’s intentions clearer than ever.
Yet the strength and endless determination of the Ukrainian people, both in Kyiv and across the temporarily occupied territories continues to inspire us.
So we call on Russia to comply with international law, to comply with the UN Charter.
President Putin has the power to end this war today.
The next steps are clear. Putin needs to agree to an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire and withdraw Russian forces from all of Ukraine’s territory.
Ukraine needs security guarantees to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
