17 February 2025
Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I would like to thank ASG Miroslav Jenča for his briefing and I also took note of the remarks of Roger Waters.
Mr. President
Greece supported, from the very beginning, the efforts undertaken to establish and strengthen the ceasefire in Ukraine through the Minsk Agreements.
We considered their application, mediated by the Normandy Format, as the only path to deescalate tensions and settle the conflict in East Ukraine. We actively participated in the Special Observation Mission in Ukraine with experienced observers and contributed to the budget of the Missions.
However, a relatively brief period of optimism concerning the Mink Agreement was -despite concerted efforts by France and Germany- followed by actions such as the recognition by Russia of the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. By doing so, Russia violated the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Memorandum.
Mr. President,
Let us be clear. No interpretation of the Minsk Agreements can ever justify the invasion of Ukraine, which constitutes a clear and blatant violation of the UN Charter.
In the threshold of the fourth year of war, Russia has not heeded the calls of the international community, enshrined in multiple General Assembly Resolutions with overwhelming majorities, to withdraw its forces from the internationally recognized territories of Ukraine and respect its.
On the contrary, it has intensified its attacks with heavy weaponry, combat drones and ballistic missiles across Ukraine, with complete disregard for the lives of civilians. We reaffirm our strong condemnation of any such attacks. January saw an increase of almost 40% in civilian casualties comparing to the previous month, 22 of whom were children. We are deeply concerned about the repercussions of this war on children, whose lives have been either ended or disrupted, often beyond repair and we call for accountability for all violations against them. We also deplore the attacks on Ukraine cultural landmarks, as with the missile attack in Odessa on the last day of January, causing damage to more than 15 UNESCO protected buildings, in the center of a city that holds great historical significance for my country.
Mr. President,
In a few days, on February 24th, the General Assembly will -once more- declare its stance on a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, by taking action on a new draft Resolution. Greece fully supports this initiative, in the hope that the collective voice of the General Assembly will finally be heard and respected.
Mr. President,
Before closing, let me reiterate our full support to the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and our support to the efforts towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, while stressing that there can be no solution for Ukraine, without Ukraine and without Europe at the table.
I thank you.