Statement by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the U.N., Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya at the UN Security Council meeting on “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”

Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN.

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May 5, 2022

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Madam President, distinguished members of the Security Council,

I also recognize the representative of Putin’s regime in the permanent seat of the Soviet Union.

At the outset, let me express gratitude to Secretary-General Guterres, Under-Secretary-General Griffiths, High Commissioner Bachelet and civil society representative Tetiana Luzan for their briefings.

Last week the Secretary-General visited Ukraine at a time when my country continues to defend the very principles of the United Nations Charter. It was important that António Guterres visited the suburbs of Kyiv and saw with his own eyes the horrific war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

I am grateful to the Secretary-General for the clear and unequivocal position on the war against Ukraine as a violation of territorial integrity and the UN Charter. I appreciate the efforts to use the “good offices” mechanisms for de-escalation. Every opportunity must be used to achieve peace!

On behalf of the President of Ukraine I would like to thank the Secretary-General, the UN team and the International Committee of the Red Cross who demonstrated the possibility of making progress and saving civilians from Mariupol, which is blocked by the russian army. And I quote: “The whole world has learned about the role of the UN and the ICRC in this. This has shown that international organizations can be effective”, end of quote.

The second stage of the evacuation operation from Mariupol was completed. 344 people were rescued – from the city and its suburbs in addition to more than 150 people who were taken out of Azovstal.

There are still civilians. Women, children. Therefore, the evacuation operation must be continued.

Madam President,

Russia has shelled almost 2000 missiles on Ukrainian cities. Most of them hit civilians, not military infrastructure. Russia struggles to advance and suffers terrible losses. This is the reason why they resort to this desperate missile terror across Ukraine. They want to break us down but the only thing that will break down in the end is russia and its capacity to invade, bomb, murder, loot and rape.

Here I would like to recall one of my compatriots, Oleksandr Makhov, a well known journalist in Ukraine, born in the Luhansk region. In 2017, he was the first Ukrainian journalist to visit our station in Antarctica. When COVID came, he was not afraid. He lived in Sanzhary, where Ukrainians were brought to from China, for two weeks. From the first day of the full-scale war, he was on the frontline. Volunteer, ATO veteran, Warrior of the 95th assault brigade. He was killed in the Kharkiv region, in the battles near Izium. He was 36 years old. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Russia will bear responsibility for this death as well as for that of every hero who gave their life for Ukraine!

Ukraine is not afraid, and the world should not be afraid either. Russia’s missile terrorism must be punished and responded to with stronger sanctions and increased military assistance for Ukraine.

Madam President,

On May 1, the Russian ministry of war declared that more than 1 million people have been transferred to Russia, including 193 thousand children.

Most of them, in particular those transferred from Mariupol, undergo filtration camps with mandatory procedures that constitute violations of their human rights: being stripped naked, fingerprinting, interrogation. Eyewitnesses testify that Russian soldiers kill those whom they consider suspicious.

There have been multiple reported cases of kidnapping or taking hostage of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops.

There are numerous cases of mistreatment of forcefully displaced Ukrainian citizens in the Russian federation, including depriving them of their Ukrainian passports and preventing them from leaving Russian territory.

We reiterate that all Ukrainian citizens forcefully transferred by Russia must be granted safe return to the territory of Ukraine.

Madam President,

Food security in Ukraine and worldwide appears to be another deliberate target of Russia. As of now Russia has stolen about 400 thousand tons of grain from the temporarily occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions – a third of all reserves in the regions. Given that the stolen grain was to be used before the next harvest it has already increased the threat of famine.

In addition to stealing grain, Russia attacks grain silos, farming infrastructure and fertilizer stores, and continues to steal farm vehicles.

The looting of grain from the occupied part of Ukraine, the blockade of shipments from Ukrainian ports and the mining of shipping routes endanger global food security.

Russia in, in fact, harming not only Ukraine, but the world population through its illegal actions. According to the United Nations, over 1.7 billion people may risk poverty and famine as a result of disruptions in the food production system caused by Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Furthermore, Russia continues to intentionally block sowing in Ukraine.

We demand that Russia stop illicit grain theft, unblock Ukrainian ports, restore freedom of navigation, and allow trade ships to pass. We urge the international community to strengthen economic sanctions against Russia in order to stop its military aggression against Ukraine, to avert a humanitarian disaster and the world’s food security crisis.

Madam President,

Today, the State of Israel is celebrating the 74th anniversary of its Independence. On November 29, 1947 Ukraine voted in favour of the UN General Assembly Resolution 181. The following year in May Israel declared its independence. Taking this opportunity, I wish peace and prosperity to Israel and all Jews around the world.

As we are approaching May 9, the threat of new provocations and a raising of the stakes by russia is increasing. In this regard, I would like to condemn the Anti-Semitic attacks by the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the President of Ukraine and all Jews. Such attacks are absolutely unacceptable.

Lavrov could not help revealing the deep-rooted anti-Semitism of Russia’s elites. It demonstrates to the world that Putin’s Russia is purposefully cultivating “Russian supremacy” and hatred of other peoples. Russia is already too deeply bogged down in uttering nonsense aimed at justifying its barbaric aggression against Ukraine.

In fact, the Russian foreign minister questioned the existence of not only the Ukrainian nation but also the Holocaust. Lavrov deliberately insulted the memory of millions of Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.

Madam President,

At this point I would like to bring your attention to one of the latest examples of Russian atrocities in Ukraine. On 4 May, the bodies of two young men aged 22 and 23 were exhumed in the village of Rudnia-Talska in Kyiv region. On 25 February, the Russian invaders shot at a car with them inside. It was not enough for the so-called Russian soldiers to kill innocent civilians, they decided to run over the car with heavy equipment, while the two men were inside. This is insane! This is inhuman!

While we are in this meeting the Russian terrorist practice of shelling Ukrainian cities throughout the entire country with long-range missiles continues. The Secretary-General had a chance to witness this practice last Thursday during his visit to Kyiv. There was no reaction from the Security Council on this deliberate attack.

In this regard, inaction of the Security Council and its ability only to express deep concerns continues to irritate the international community, undermine its authority in accordance with the UN Charter and create an atmosphere of impunity.

As appears, this chamber has turned from a venue of diplomatic debates into a biological hazard site. There is a trail of blood and a sickening smell of smoldering bodies of women, men, and children that a russist envoy leaves lingering behind him when entering and leaving this Chamber. The air that we inhale is filled with poisonous spores of turpitude when he drivels torrential lies as his lips begin moving.

Victory over the russist army comes closer by the day, as does the time when Putin’s henchmen will sit on the bench at a trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Punishment is imminent. Milošević will not be lonely for too long.

Thank you for your attention.

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