9 July 2024
President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, and Georgia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco, and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
According to initial reports, yesterday, several waves of large-scale Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities caused at least 40 civilian deaths, including children, and over 150 injuries. In Kyiv the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital was directly hit by a missile. A children’s hospital. The images of the aftermath of that attack are devastating: panicked parents holding their children on the street, doctors and nurses scrambling to provide first aid against the backdrop of destruction. The attacks were immediately and roundly condemned by both SG Guterres and PGA Francis. They are a stark reminder of why the Russian armed forces are listed by the UN as a perpetrator of grave violations against children in armed conflict. By targeting Okhmatdyt, a symbol of Ukraine’s childcare medicine, Russia once again demonstrates its cruelty and its utter insincerity about peace talks. One can only imagine the further horrors that were averted by the courageous interventions of Ukraine’s air defences.
We are confronted with a striking paradox: the member state currently holding the Presidency of the UN Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining peace and security, is intensifying attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including that country’s hospitals and power plants. Such systematic air strikes against Ukraine’s civilians and civilian and critical infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and must stop immediately and unconditionally. In a report issued last week, OHCHR extensively documented Russia’s targeting of energy infrastructure as well as its use of so-called ‘double-tap’ strikes, where it uses high-precision weapons to strike the same location twice within a short interval, causing additional casualties among civilians and first responders.
Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression and for other most serious crimes under international law, as well as for the massive damage caused by their war.
Later this week, the UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution regarding the threats posed to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and to support the work of the IAEA in ensuring nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. It is the first time in history a nuclear power plant –the largest in Europe- has been illegally seized by a foreign aggressor. History, including the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, has taught us the existential importance of nuclear safety and security. Russia’s irresponsible actions place all of us at risk. That is why we hope that all UN Member States will strongly support this initiative.
In closing, I cannot but reaffirm, especially in the aftermath of these inhumane bombings, the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The EU will continue to support both Ukraine, and respect for the UN Charter in response to Russia’s illegal aggression, for as long as it takes.
I thank you.