This Council exists to uphold international peace and security.
Yet we meet again because the actions of a permanent member over the last two weeks have made one thing clear: Russia has no interest in peace.
Despite repeated global calls for a ceasefire, President Putin has continued his deadly attacks on Ukraine, accepting a ceasefire only when it suited him: a pause long enough to protect his Victory Day parade.
The moment the parade ended, the killing resumed. 24 people killed by a single strike on a block of apartments. Russia is lashing out in desperation. A state that needs a spectacle to mask its insecurity, and missiles to silence diplomacy, is not acting from confidence. It is acting from fear. Fear that Ukraine will endure and Russia’s aggression will fail.
This disregard for life extends to those trying to save it. As we’ve heard today, last week, a clearly marked UN vehicle on a humanitarian mission in Kherson was struck twice by drones, endangering humanitarians delivering vital aid. This is not an isolated incident. OCHA reports over 50 incidents affecting humanitarian personnel and operations so far this year. These attacks are straining a response on which millions rely.
President Putin continues to choose deadly violence because he is desperate. Russia has killed over 140 civilians this month alone. His objectives remain unmet after over four years, and conditions at home continue to deteriorate. Russia’s economy is increasingly subsumed by defence spending. Yet he continues, despite clear evidence that Ukraine is resisting effectively and imposing significant costs.
As the Council marks Protection of Civilians week, we remind Russia of their obligations under international law. We echo the Secretary General’s call for a comprehensive ceasefire, and a just and lasting peace.
But peace begins with truth: this war could end the moment Russia stops its invasion.
President Putin cannot achieve his goals by military means.
Russia is losing more soldiers than it is recruiting.
And at the rate it is seizing territory, it would take decades to achieve its war aims.
So he is desperate to convince us all that Russia’s victory is inevitable. That our support is a lost cause. But no one is falling for it. Europe’s support is here to stay
