29 May 2025
Dear colleagues,
I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and OCHA Director Doughten for their detailed briefings.
It has already been a month since the Council was last seized on the war in Ukraine. One would hope that, in the meantime, peace talks under the US-led initiative would have borne tangible results. After all, the United States and Ukraine agreed to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire almost three months ago and all parties to this war, including Russia, have declared their intention to achieve a peaceful settlement. Yet, this ceasefire still eludes us on Russia’s responsibility.
Instead of building on the promise of peace, there has been a continuation of deadly attacks in May, while noting that April, according to verified data of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, became the deadliest month not only for Ukrainian civilians in general since September 2024, but particularly for children since June 2022. As the UN Humanitarian Coordinator has stressed, across Ukraine no place is safe.
We echo the Secretary General’s condemnation of the latest attacks and join our voice with the overwhelming majority of the UN membership, which, in multiple General Assembly Resolutions have demanded the cessation of hostilities and the return to peace, in full respect of international law and the UN Charter.
Greece condemns any targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as a clear violation of the basic tenets of International Humanitarian Law, and demands accountability for the perpetrators and justice for the victims.
In this regard, we commend the role of UN agencies, such as UNICEF, for their multi-faceted support to civilians and in particular to children, as well as the tireless efforts and courage of humanitarian workers, who have also suffered increased casualties these last months.
Colleagues,
Regrettably, peace efforts, culminating in the attempts at direct bilateral negotiations on May 16, did not produce any breakthrough. On the contrary, they have so far further confirmed Russia’s intransigence. At the same time, the agreement for the largest exchange of prisoners of war and civilian detainees between the two sides since the start of the war is a welcome development and the only tangible deliverable of the negotiations.
In closing, let me reiterate that Greece’s stance through these 39 months of war has been principled and consistent, in favor of international law, including international humanitarian law, and the principles of the UN Charter. In that respect, we reiterate that a full, immediate and comprehensive ceasefire should remain our first priority on the way to our ultimate goal of achieving firstly, a permanent cessation of hostilities, secondly, a just, comprehensive and lasting peace achieved through inclusive diplomacy, in line with the UN Charter and international law, that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and thirdly, security guarantees that will prevent the recurrence of war.
I thank you.