29 April 2025
Mr. President,
I am grateful to the French Presidency and to you, Minister Barrot, for convening this meeting and for your solidarity with Ukraine.
We also thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Assistant Secretary-General Msuya for their briefings, which clearly outlined the suffering inflicted upon the people of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
I cannot but begin my address to the Security Council by pointing out one of the most recent crimes committed by the Russian Federation. Just today, on 29 April, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russia murdered 12-year-old Marharyta Titarenko, another child murdered by Russia. Every day Russia kills our children, every day deports our children in grave breach of international law. Every day Russia tortures our children in the temporarily occupied territories. How many children would have been killed by Russia by the end of the war?
Daily, the Russian Federation continues to perpetrate acts of terror against the civilian population of Ukraine, systematically targeting critical infrastructure and residential areas across the country.
Since 11 March, when the US proposed a full and unconditional ceasefire during negotiations in Saudi Arabia – Russians have used nearly 8,500 guided aerial bombs – just think about the figure – 8,500 bombs against peaceful civilians in the middle of Europe, almost 200 missiles of various types, and nearly 3,000 drones.
The first proposal of the full and unconditional ceasefire has been already for 49 days on the table, but it was rejected by Russia.
One of the most blatant attacks occurred on the night of 24 April this year, when the Russian Federation launched a large-scale, combined attack on residential areas across multiple regions of Ukraine, using 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and approximately 150 attack drones.
In Kyiv alone the attack took lives of at least 13 civilians, including a brother and a sister – 21-year-old Nikita and 19-year-old Sofia – and also injured around 90 others, among them at least six children and a pregnant woman.
In this barbaric attack, Russia used a ballistic missile manufactured in North Korea. This is yet another evidence of the criminal nature of the alliance between the Russian Federation and North Korea. This Russian-North Korean bond threatens the security of the entire Indo-Pacific region as well.
Recently, Ukrainian intelligence services have documented the involvement of at least 155 citizens of China in the Russian Federation’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. Evidence indicates that the Russian side is actively engaged in recruiting Chinese nationals through various social media platforms. This cooperation must be stopped immediately.
Since the beginning of 2025, at least 577 civilians have been killed and over 2,900 injured, though the true toll is likely to be higher due to limited access to frontline and occupied areas. In April alone, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine verified 848 civilian casualties – a 46% increase from the same period last year. Verification efforts are ongoing, and the number of casualties is expected to increase.
Russia’s armed aggression has resulted in the widespread devastation of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. According to Ukrainian authorities, over 218,000 civilian sites have been damaged or destroyed. More than 1,600 schools have been damaged, with at least 200 destroyed. Nearly 2,000 medical facilities have also been affected, including 301 reduced to rubble.
These figures reflect a sharply deteriorating humanitarian situation and the growing needs of the civilian population on the ground. In this context, the delivery of humanitarian assistance is more urgent and essential than ever.
Ukraine deeply appreciates efforts of OCHA and its partners in responding to humanitarian needs on the ground. We are sincerely grateful to all donors and partners for their continued support and solidarity.
We call on the international donor community to ensure sustained and predictable funding to enable the uninterrupted delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
Mr. President,
Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal full-scale military invasion in full accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
This is our country, this is our home, this is our families that we are defending.
Ukraine did not start this war and we do not want this war to continue. Russia is the only source, the reason and the fundamental driving force of this war of aggression.
Ukraine has demonstrated more than once its willingness to give diplomacy a chance to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Russia refused to accept the proposal agreed by the United States and Ukraine on 11 March in Jeddah on a full interim ceasefire for 30 days. Russia repeatedly violated the agreements on a ceasefire in the energy sector reached in Riyadh on 23-25 March, manipulating the date of its start (March 18 instead of March 25), and put forward unacceptable preconditions for the implementation of a ceasefire at sea.
On Easter, Russia made statements about its alleged readiness for a so-called ceasefire for 30 hours. And what do we see? The total number of violations by the Russian army of this so-called ceasefire throughout Easter reached 2,935.
On 28 April, Russia proposed a 3-day so-called ceasefire starting from 8 May. If Russia is so much willing to stop the war, why don’t we start the ceasefire today? Why wait till 8 May?
This proposal has nothing to do with peace. Russia has always used the dates of victory over Nazism for propaganda and disinformation purposes. This year the Kremlin uses the 80th anniversary, particularly the so-called “victory parade” on 9 May, as a culmination of victory cult. In reality, Russian soldiers marching through Red Square on 9 May 2025 will have nothing to do with the victory over Nazism. Some of them may have massacred civilians in Bucha, Irpin, Izium, Mariupol and many other Ukrainian cities and villages.
No country has the right to claim exclusive rights on the victory in World War II, which was a result of great efforts by many countries and nations. During WWII, Ukraine lost approximately 8 million people, this War had an impact on every Ukrainian family, each Ukrainian town and village suffered. That’s why our country rejects Russian historical manipulations, attempts to downplay or manipulate Ukraine’s role in the victory over Nazism.
We value human lives, but not parades. The fire can be ceased right now, not just for a parade. And not just for a few days to continue killing Ukrainians after such parades. Russia cannot be allowed to ‘cherry pick’ the politically convenient dates to announce a short-lived ceasefire simply for PR purposes or gain additional tactical advantage. Ukraine is ready to support a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. And this is what we are constantly proposing, for at least 30 days. We reconfirm this proposal.
Mr. President,
Our position on peace negotiations is clear and consistent.
Ukraine wants peace like no one else. However, we cannot accept “peace at any price.” Any future arrangement has to respect Ukraine’s red lines.
- First, we will never recognize any temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as Russian. Crimea as well as other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine remain part of Ukraine according to the international law and according to the Constitution of Ukraine.
- Second, we will not agree to any foreign diktat regarding the structure, number and other characteristics of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
- Third, we will not accept any restrictions on Ukraine’s sovereignty, our domestic and foreign policies, including on the choice of alliances that we would like to join.
- A temporary ceasefire – if achieved – should not lead to a frozen conflict. It must be a step towards peace talks on the just and lasting peace. That is a crucial element shaping our vision.
The first and most essential step toward any negotiations must be a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This is the starting point. Nothing less.
Ukrainian children abducted by Russia must be immediately and unconditionally returned back home. This is a humanitarian issue, can you imagine the pain of the parents who were separated from their children? Not a single parent should endure this pain. Russia deported at least 20,000 Ukrainian children in grave breach of international law, trying to erase their identity, giving them different names. They were so-called “adopted” by Russian families. These are war crimes and this is the issue of humanity.
Second, prisoners of war. All of them should be returned and exchanged back home. And, of course, illegally detained persons, civilians – all of them should be returned back home to Ukraine.
The issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity is crucial and key. It should be important for all Member States whether we, as international community, are ready to abide by the principles of the UN Charter.
Mr. President,
The Russian Federation could stop its war of aggression at any time, but they continue to reject peace.
Russia wants to continue this war, not to pursue peace.
Russia wants to kill Ukrainians, not to stop hostilities.
Russia wants to occupy more Ukrainian territories, not to withdraw from Ukraine, because Russia’s goal for eleven years of genocidal war hasn’t changed – to destroy Ukraine as a country, to destroy Ukraine as a nation.
Russia doesn’t want to see Ukraine as a democratic free European country. Freedom is virus for Russian society – it threatens the dictatorship in Russia.
Aggression should not be rewarded. Aggressor should not be appeased.
Any attempt to appease the Russian Federation – by compromising fundamental principles – would only embolden further violations of international law and set a very dangerous precedent for global security. History has shown that appeasement does not stop aggressors; it only encourages them.
It is imperative that the international community increases pressure on Russia – including sanction pressure – to compel it to cease its violations of international law and to pursue a genuine path toward peace.
We remain hopeful that the United States, along with our other international partners, will intensify efforts to press Russia to accept a full and unconditional ceasefire. Unity and support of the whole international community is needed to stop this genocidal war and to prevent its repetition in the future.
Peace talks must be based on respect for international law, including the UN Charter. Any sustainable peace must unequivocally respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, safeguard our democratic institutions, and ensure the inalienable right of the Ukrainian people to live free from external aggression and to freely choose its future.
Sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, justice is not negotiable, children are not negotiable.
We call on the international community – and especially this Council – to reaffirm the truth: peace without justice is not peace, it’s a surrender. And this is what Russia actually wants – they want Ukraine to surrender, they want Ukraine to capitulate. So, we have bad news for Russia. Ukraine will not surrender.
Again, this is our country, this is our home, and we’re defending our land, our people in accordance with the UN Charter.
Ukraine is seeking a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter, underpinned by clear and reliable security guarantees on the ground.
Thank you.