Amid Escalating Hostilities, Civilian Casualties in Ukraine, Aid Donors Must Sustain Financial Support, Under-Secretary-General Urges on Heels of Peace Summit
Amid an unconscionable escalation of attacks impacting Ukrainian civilians, world leaders came together at the “Summit on Peace in Ukraine” — hosted by Switzerland on 15 and 16 June — a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as many delegates welcomed the summit’s common vision in several key areas, including nuclear safety, the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children.
Painting a grim picture of the Russian Federation’s relentless attacks on Ukraine, particularly in the Kharkiv region, which last month led to the highest number of civilian casualties in a year, Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that the border town of Vovchansk, north of Kharkiv city, is almost completely destroyed, with thousands of its residents forced to flee.
This is “a repeat of the devastation visited on Mariupol, Bakhmut and Avdiivka earlier in the war,” she stated, stressing that civilians also continue to be killed and injured in other parts of Ukraine. As of December 2023, the cost of reconstruction and recovery over the next decade is estimated at $486 billion, she said, warning that “the worst consequences of the attacks against energy infrastructure are yet to be felt”. Noting that the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently only 27 per cent funded, she urged donors to sustain their financial support and the Russian Federation to enable humanitarian access to the areas under its control.
“We must have the courage to build peace. And to do that, we need to talk about it,” stated Switzerland’s delegate, noting that the peace summit held in her country is “a clear signal in favour of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”. For the first time, leaders discussed the matter at the highest level, she said, stressing further efforts are needed to “maintain this momentum”.
Numerous delegates expressed support for the summit, noting that it demonstrates the international community’s willingness to achieve sustained peace in Ukraine. Among them was Slovenia’s representative who said that a joint communiqué — signed by most delegations at the summit — provides the palpable groundwork for a process towards that end. “This peace process is not anti-Russian”; instead, it is “a rejection of aggression”, he said, adding that the UN and its Charter are “the glue that holds this post-war collective security together” and “it is in no one’s interest to see this system erode and collapse”.
Echoing that sentiment, Algeria’s delegate highlighted that, for its part, the Council must tackle questions such as how to end the hostilities and maintain peace and security; achieve a just, lasting solution to the conflict; and immediately stop the loss of life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. “This should direct our compass,” he urged.
Also underscoring the need to “tackle the question of reconstruction early on, while the war is still ongoing,” the speaker for Germany spotlighted that his country co-hosted last week’s international Ukraine recovery conference in Berlin, showing broad solidarity in support of Ukraine, with over 110 agreements signed and investments amounting to about $17 billion announced.
The representative of Denmark, speaking also for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, said the difference in political approach between a summit for peace in Switzerland and the Russian Federation’s brutal actions in Ukraine is striking. Underlining the need to reject Moscow’s so-called “peace proposal” announced on the eve of the summit, she said it “lays bare its intentions”, namely “deny Ukraine its inalienable right to sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
His counterpart from the United States elaborated on the Russian Federation’s so-called “peace plan”: “Demanding that Ukraine withdraw from its internationally recognized territory before considering negotiations mocks the very principle this Organization was created to reject — that countries may not acquire territory through force.” Concurrently, she expressed regret that China released a peace plan formulated without Ukraine’s participation and urged that country to cease supporting Moscow’s defence industrial base.
China’s delegate countered that his country and other relevant parties have put forward several proposals for advancing a political settlement. Among them was the joint launch with Brazil of “six-point common understandings” on the crisis, emphasizing dialogue and negotiation as the only viable solution. Encouraging more countries to support this peace plan, he called on Washington, D.C., to work for an early end of the war and restore peace, instead of sabotaging international peace and solidarity.
The Russian Federation’s representative said that “the pseudo-peace and pseudo-global conference in Bürgenstock” was doomed to fail as its organizers “thought about everything except peace” and sought to present his country with an ultimatum. “You can convene 10 of these kinds of tête-à-têtes, but it won’t bring peace any closer,” he added. Recalling Moscow’s peace proposal presented on 14 June, he said that Western rejections of the same “simply reaffirm the strategic blindness of Western capitals”. He also pointed out that it is “clear” that the reality on the ground will change further — and not in Kyiv’s favour — stating that the “conditions for starting negotiations will then be different”.
The speaker for Ukraine observed that Moscow’s absence at the summit — “the first step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” — demonstrates its unwillingness to implement the language of international law and the UN Charter. The world had tried appeasement and territorial gifts, rejoiced over signed papers with hollow promises from the aggressors and then faced the atrocities of the war, he said, citing the Munich Agreement of 1938. Underscoring that the proposals developed by other countries should be part of dialogue with Ukraine, he said the summit’s joint communiqué is open for all Member States.
Quoting the words of the President of Ukraine at the summit, he said: “There is no need to reinvent the wheel when the UN Charter already defines the foundations of peace and normal coexistence of peoples. So, we just have to return to them.”
THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE
Briefing
ROSEMARY DICARLO, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that — amid “a sharp escalation of hostilities and an appalling increase in civilian casualties” — many world leaders came together in Switzerland to build consensus on the elements of a just peace in Ukraine this past weekend. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in May at least 174 civilians were killed and 690 injured in Ukraine — the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since June 2023. Over half occurred in the Kharkiv region due to the Russian Federation’s new offensive, launched on 10 May. She pointed to the massive use of explosive weapons both in the Kharkiv region and in Kharkiv city, detailing missile attacks such as the one on 25 May, during which two air-dropped bombs struck a large home improvement centre, killing 19 people. The border town of Vovchansk, north of Kharkiv city, which saw some of the most intense fighting in the past month, is almost completely destroyed, with thousands of its residents forced to flee. This is “a repeat of the devastation visited on Mariupol, Bakhmut and Avdiivka earlier in the war,” she stated.
Civilians continue to be killed and injured in other parts of Ukraine, she said. On 13 June, an attack on Kryviy Rih killed at least nine people. Regular shelling and missile attacks by Russian Federation forces have also been reported in the Kherson region — including the city of Kherson — resulting in civilian casualties and forcing many of the city’s residents to flee. “The escalation of attacks impacting Ukrainian civilians is unconscionable,” she asserted, noting that, since February 2022, OHCHR has recorded 11,126 civilians killed and 21,863 injured. The actual figures are likely significantly higher. In the same period, Russian authorities have reported that at least 91 civilians have been killed and 455 injured in the Russian Federation, primarily in the Belgorod, Briansk and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine.
The relentless attacks have also caused massive damage to civilian infrastructure, she said. Even before the current escalation, a joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by Ukraine, the UN, the World Bank Group and the European Commission, estimated that, as of December 2023, reconstruction and recovery would cost some $486 billion over the next decade, she said, highlighting last week’s Recovery Conference in Berlin, which demonstrated international solidarity and support for Ukraine’s path to recovery. However, “the worst consequences of the attacks against energy infrastructure are yet to be felt”, she cautioned, stressing that the shelling and air strikes are also making it difficult to complete the repair of damaged facilities before next winter.
The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently 27 per cent funded, she said, urging donors to sustain their financial support, as it will allow for the delivery of life-saving assistance to the vulnerable population. She also urged the Russian Federation to enable humanitarian access to the areas under its control. Moreover, “this war has affected countries far beyond Ukraine’s borders,” she observed, adding that the Black Sea is a critical trade route estimated to account for over a quarter of grain trade. On the “extremely concerning” human rights situation in the regions under Russian occupation, she said that OHCHR has interviewed dozens of people who recently fled. They report increased pressure to obtain Russian passports linked to the Russian presidential decree of 27 April 2023, which mandates that anyone without Russian Federation citizenship in the occupied areas of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be considered “foreigners” after 1 July 2024. Also, OHCHR has interviewed hundreds of released Ukrainian prisoners of war, who recounted systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence.
Statements
The representative of Slovenia congratulated Switzerland for hosting a successful peace summit on Ukraine. A joint communiqué, signed by most delegations, provides palpable groundwork for a process that might bring peace to that country and stability to the wider region. “This peace process is not anti‑Russian,” he stressed. However, one would be right if they would view it as “a rejection of aggression”, “an instance of rejecting the use of military force for achieving political goals over diplomacy”, and “a voice for upholding the international law, including the UN Charter”. He said there can be no peace without all parties involved, expressing hope that the Russian Federation will demonstrate a genuine willingness to end the war and engage in good faith in negotiations. “The UN and its Charter are the glue that holds this post-war collective security together,” he said, adding: “It is in none’s interest to see this system erode and collapse.” The Council must start with “building trust”.
The representative of the United States said that “the Kremlin wants Ukraine to accept an unjust peace that rewards Russia’s aggression while facing the barrel of a gun”. The Russian Federation’s so-called “peace plan” — released just days before States gathered in Switzerland — “fools no one”, she stressed. She added: “Demanding that Ukraine withdraw from its internationally recognized territory before considering negotiations mocks the very principle this Organization was created to reject — that countries may not acquire territory through force.” The international community, therefore, must urge Moscow to come to the table ready for constructive, fair dialogue. However, a sovereign Ukraine must be at the head of that table, as any discussion about negotiated settlement is, at its core, about Ukraine’s future. In that context, she expressed regret that China released a peace plan formulated without Ukraine’s participation and stressed that, if China wants peace, it should cease supporting the Russian Federation’s defence industrial base.
The representative of Switzerland stated: “We must have the courage to build peace. And to do that, we need to talk about it.” From 15 to 16 June, over 100 countries, international organizations and religious representatives met to discuss how to launch a peace process based on international law. “This is a clear signal in favour of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” she said, noting that, for the first time, “we discussed peace in Ukraine at the highest level”.
Participants established a common vision in several areas, she said, namely: safe and secure use of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and facilities, and the inadmissibility of any threat or use of nuclear weapons; free, full and safe commercial navigation, as well as access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas are critical; food security which must not be weaponized in any way; and complete exchange of prisoners of war. Also, all deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, as well as all other unlawfully detained Ukrainian civilians, must be returned to Ukraine. “Together, we have laid the important groundwork. We now need to ensure that we maintain this momentum,” she said, stressing that “further efforts are needed to make progress towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.
The representative of China stressed the imperative to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States and prioritize their legitimate security concerns, calling for a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. His country and other relevant parties have put forward several initiatives and proposals for advancing the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Among them was the joint launch with Brazil of “six-point common understandings” on the crisis, with an emphasis on dialogue and negotiation as the only viable solution. Encouraging more countries to support the six-point common understandings, he called the United States to work for an early end of the war and restore peace, instead of escalating tensions, provoking confrontations and sabotaging international peace and solidarity.
The representative of Sierra Leone, while noting the conflicting parties’ pronouncements of their readiness for dialogue, stated that it is “clear” that Ukraine’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity must be respected for genuine peace to be achieved. It is therefore “imperative that direct engagement between both parties take place sooner, rather than later”, he said. Reiterating that the conflict has strained global political and economic relations and heightened geopolitical tensions, he pointed out that this has “serious implications” for international cooperation on critical socioeconomic and development issues. Further, the erosion of trust and cooperation between nations has led to a breakdown in negotiations on important global matters, such as arms control, nuclear non-proliferation, cybersecurity and trade. “Sierra Leone, once more, calls for good-faith diplomatic efforts in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he said against that backdrop, again urging full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The representative of Mozambique voiced concern over the dangerous escalatory trajectory of the conflict, including the risk of nuclear fallout by intent, miscalculation or accident, and “the real possibility of the conflict to engulf Europe in an all-out military confrontation”. Stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain the “only viable paths” to de-escalation, cessation of hostilities and eventual settlement, he urged the warring parties to put aside their differences and play a constructive role toward a sustainable resolution of the conflict. “The longer the war continues, the further the prospect of a lasting peace recedes,” he cautioned, adding that the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers is imperative.
The representative of the United Kingdom said that the Russian Federation’s war chest is funded by its partners’ oil and gas purchases, which, in turn, allows Moscow to purchase weapons from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran. This past weekend, 100 countries and institutions met in Switzerland to discuss peace in Ukraine. Representatives from every continent emphasized that all States benefit if there is respect for the UN Charter, territorial integrity and sovereignty. “But, Putin spurned this opportunity,” she said, by dismissing the peace summit and actively seeking to undermine it. He spent the days leading up to the summit launching a vicious new assault on Kharkiv, using glide bombs. Two days after the summit, “Putin has gone to Pyongyang to seek yet more North Korean weaponry in order to sustain his war machine in violation of Security Council resolutions”. Every UN member has a responsibility to reject this, she stressed, urging the Russian Federation to withdraw its forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine and engage constructively with international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
The representative of France pointed out that, while countries met in Switzerland “to find a path towards peace”, the Russian Federation intensified its strikes on Ukrainian territory, deliberately targeted civilians and flouted the rights of prisoners of war. Further, Moscow worked to denigrate that peace summit, denouncing its alleged partiality as an attempt to impose an ultimatum. He stressed, however, that Moscow — just before the start of the summit — set out conditions for Ukraine’s “pure and simple surrender”. As the Russian Federation has demonstrated that it does not wish to negotiate in good faith — “equating peace with capitulation” — he said that the international community bears the collective responsibility to call on Moscow to cease its aggression, return to respect for international law and join the discussion inaugurated in Switzerland. Appeals for peace can only be addressed to the Russian Federation, he added, as only that country is undermining international peace and security by deciding, every day, to continue its war.
The representative of Malta observed that the robust participation at the peace summit hosted by Switzerland demonstrates the international community’s willingness to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. “This is just the start of the process, and it is on us — as members of the international community — to move forward,” she said, noting that the summit’s thematic sessions opened avenues for possible engagement in the crucial areas of food security, freedom of navigation on the Black Sea, nuclear safety and security, as well as the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of the many thousands of Ukrainian children. However, she voiced concern over Moscow’s narrative around the event, which attempts to legitimize its aggression and obstructs a common understanding of a possible path for peace. While Ukraine is fighting “a war of necessity”, the Russian Federation continues to inflict suffering and damage, she stressed, pointing to the recent offensive against the Kharkiv region which has caused unmeasurable suffering to civilians.
The representative of Japan underlined the timeliness of this meeting, which followed the peace summit on Ukraine. “At the summit, we reiterated the international community’s commitment towards achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which Japan highly commends,” he said. “Ukraine today may be elsewhere in the world, including East Asia, tomorrow,” he cautioned, highlighting the need to uphold the fundamental principles of international law, and prevent any future attempts to change the status quo by force. Peace in Ukraine must be achieved based on the UN Charter. Last week, the top leaders of Japan and Ukraine signed a bilateral support and cooperation accord, covering security and defence, humanitarian assistance, and recovery and reconstruction. The pact was signed based on the conviction that the issue of Ukraine is for the entire international community, he stressed.
The representative of Algeria stressed that “there are no reasons whatsoever” that could justify the killing of civilians and the suffering of refugees and internally displaced persons. Urging the parties to the conflict to curb escalation and “give inclusive dialogue the chance it deserves”, he stressed that peaceful settlement of the conflict must be based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations — “that no one can question” — and the legitimate security concerns of both parties. For its part, the Council must tackle important, urgent questions — primarily, how to immediately stop the loss of life and destruction of civilian infrastructure; how to end the hostilities and maintain peace and security; and how to achieve a just and lasting solution to this conflict. “This should direct our compass,” he urged.
The representative of Guyana welcomed the intensified diplomatic efforts this month to respond to Ukraine's humanitarian and security situation and find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Deploring the mounting civilian casualties sustained in this war, she warned that “the risk of a major catastrophe is growing exponentially with each passing day”. The illegal invasion of Ukraine has already caused untold loss and destruction of life and property, and led to a humanitarian and refugee crisis that is considered to be the largest and fastest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Prolonging the war any further will only increase the already dire consequences for the civilian population and global peace and security, she stressed, commending States’ efforts to provide humanitarian support to Ukraine, including to Ukrainian refugees trapped overseas.
The representative of Ecuador expressed regret that, two years after the Russian Federation began its invasion of Ukraine, there is still no sign of an end to the conflict. On the contrary, hostilities and the risk of escalation are increasing, exacerbating the tense geopolitical situation and raising the risk of a broader confrontation. Armed conflicts also tend to divert attention and funds necessary to address urgent global challenges, negatively affecting developing countries, he pointed out. He called upon Moscow to comply with the March 2022 order of the International Court of Justice and suspend its military operations in Ukraine and to open dialogue and diplomacy as the legitimate, effective path to seeking peace.
The representative of the Russian Federation, while noting that the West was officially motivated to call today’s meeting to discuss the political situation in Ukraine, said that their statements contained “almost nothing political in them — or nothing new, in any case”. However, there is much to discuss on the political front, as the authority of Ukraine’s President expired on 20 May and the question arises as to who, from a legal standpoint, can legitimately participate in peace talks involving Ukraine. He also said that the principle of respect for territorial integrity applies to States that offer their citizens equal rights and self-determination and possess a Government representing all people belonging to their territory, which he said is not the case for Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. Expressing regret that this idea was not reflected in the Secretariat’s statement, he said that the Kyiv regime currently focuses only on serving the West’s geopolitical interests because “only that will guarantee its political survival”.
Today’s meeting, he continued, was convened with one goal — “to try to flog a dead horse with a pseudo-peace and pseudo-global conference in Bürgenstock”. He said that, for any sensible observer, that meeting was doomed to fail from the beginning because its organizers “thought about everything except peace” and sought to present the Russian Federation with an ultimatum. The number and geographic coverage of participants “clearly shows that the outcome of it was zero”, he stressed, adding that it “will not be a starting point for any serious negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict”. He added: “You can convene 10 of these kinds of tête-à-têtes, but it won’t bring peace any closer.” Recalling his country’s peace proposal presented on 14 June, he said that Western rejections of the same “simply reaffirm the strategic blindness of Western capitals”. He also said that it is “clear” that the reality on the ground will change further — and not in Kyiv’s favour — stating that the “conditions for starting negotiations will then be different”.
The representative of the Republic of Korea, Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity to welcome that, at the first Summit on Peace in Ukraine convened in Switzerland, leaders agreed on a common vision vis-à-vis nuclear safety, food security and humanitarian issues. Various views on ways to end the war were exchanged during the summit, which laid vital groundwork for achieving lasting peace in Ukraine. Also last week, a series of high-level conferences — including the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy and the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Germany — demonstrated a shared sense of urgency for stopping the war. However, amid these efforts, the Russian Federation has continued its attacks against Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. While “all wars eventually end, and so will the war in Ukraine”, he underscored that how it ends “will largely determine the future of global politics and define the security architecture in Europe and beyond”.
The representative of Ukraine said that the Russian Federation was not present at the peace summit as it remains unwilling to accept and implement “the language” of international law and the UN Charter. With almost two thirds represented at the highest level, the event marks “the first step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” based on the Charter and the core principles of international law. He recalled that efforts at appeasing an aggressor won’t work, just as they failed in the past, citing the Munich Agreement of 1938. At that time, world leaders did everything to appease Adolf Hitler by allowing him to annex the region of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia “in return for a promise that this would be his last territorial demand”. Similarly, his country was persuaded in 2014 that the temporary occupation and attempted annexation of territories of Ukraine, including Crimea, by the Russian Federation was “the last territorial grab that Moscow needed”.
Six months after the Munich Agreement, the whole of Czechoslovakia was occupied, and less than a year later, the Second World War began, he recalled. Neither Adolf Hitler nor Benito Mussolini were present at the first inter-allied conference in London in June 1941. The Allies focused on three key topics, although the scope of critical issues to be addressed was much broader. “So, as you see, we have been through all this before,” he said, noting that the world had tried appeasement and territorial gifts, rejoiced over signed papers with hollow promises from the aggressors and then faced the atrocities of the war. He cautioned that the proposals developed by other countries should be a part of dialogue with Ukraine, rather than conveyed through media, adding that the summit’s joint communiqué is open for all Member States and calling on all peace-loving nations to join those who have already supported the document. Quoting the words of the President of Ukraine at the summit, he said: “There is no need to reinvent the wheel when the UN Charter already defines the foundations of peace and normal coexistence of peoples. So, we just have to return to them.”
The representative of the Czech Republic, aligning himself with the statement to be delivered by the European Union, said that one country wishes most to see a durable, just peace — “and that country is Ukraine”. Welcoming, in that context, the recent peace summit, he said that countries from all regions of the world sent a clear message to Moscow: “Any peace proposal that is not in line with the UN Charter, including the principle of territorial integrity, cannot be called a ‘peace plan’.” While expressing regret that “several countries with the ambition to play an active global role” were not present, he said that Prague supports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace formula as “the only peace plan on the table” that accords with the Charter and international law. Addressing the representative of the Russian Federation, he stressed that international norms prohibit arms exports to aggressors — not to a State that is a victim of external aggression.
The representative of Denmark, speaking also on behalf of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, underscored that “the significance of the summit cannot be overstated”. It reconfirmed widespread international support for a peace process based on international law and conveyed strong political will to solve challenges, such as food and nuclear security, prisoners of war and deported persons. With 78 participating countries signing a joint communiqué to this end, the summit sent a strong message: “State borders cannot be redrawn by force.” The principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, she asserted, adding that global support for Ukraine is of utmost importance for international peace and security.
However, she continued, in the run-up to the summit, the Russian Federation committed some of its deadliest attacks against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to OHCHR, the month of May was the deadliest in terms of civilian casualties since June 2023, with more than half of casualties attributed to Moscow’s ongoing assault on Kharkiv. During this same period, there has been a surge of cyberattacks and disinformation efforts by the Russian Federation. “The difference in political approach between a summit for peace in Switzerland and Russia’s brutal actions in Ukraine is striking,” she observed, adding that Moscow’s so-called “peace proposal” announced on the eve of the summit “lays bare the intentions of Moscow”, which must be rejected: namely “to subjugate Ukraine and deny Ukraine its inalienable right to sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, highlighted the strong support expressed at the summit for the UN Charter and international law, welcoming the joint communiqué adopted at the event. The bloc stands ready to support tangible steps for its follow-up. The Russian Federation and its leadership “must be held accountable for waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and other serious crimes under international law, as well as the massive damage caused by the war”, she said. The 2024 UN report on children and armed conflict again lists the Russian Armed Forces and affiliated armed groups for killing and maiming children, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals. The Union has joined the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children and has engaged in efforts to bring back home the Ukrainian children deported and forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation, she added, reaffirming the bloc’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
The representative of Lithuania, also speaking for Estonia and Latvia and aligning himself with the European Union, expressed support for Ukraine’s peace formula as “the only viable road map” to achieve lasting peace based on international law. “Any initiatives or plans coming from the Kremlin or elsewhere, neglecting the core principles of the UN Charter, cannot be justified or supported,” he stressed. He also condemned Moscow’s continued use of special ammunition equipped with hazardous chemical substances against the Ukrainian Armed Forces, urging the Council to find an effective international response to the Russian Federation’s violation of international law and the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. Further, he called on Moscow to immediately release all illegally detained Ukrainians and return the more than 20,000 Ukrainian children deported or illegally transferred to the Russian Federation.
He went on to point out that the Russian Federation is stepping up its hybrid activities against its neighbours, particularly in the Baltic Sea region. These include arson attacks, GPS jamming, attacks against critical infrastructure, interference in European Union elections, physical violence, cyberattacks and instrumentalization of migration. Such actions, he underscored, “are a deliberate, escalatory provocation to intimidate neighbouring countries and their societies”. Among other points, he called for the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation — “and its accomplice Belarus” — to be held accountable for the serious international crimes committed in Ukraine, also condemning Tehran and Pyongyang for being complicit in Moscow’s indiscriminate war by providing weapons and ammunition. Emphasizing the need to cover all losses suffered by the Ukrainian State and people, he said that, eventually, immobilized Russian Federation assets should be used for this purpose in the absence of voluntary compensation.
The representative of Poland said that the peace summit in Switzerland demonstrated overwhelming support for ending the hostilities in Ukraine. “Once again, the international community spoke loudly and clearly that it remains committed to ending the conflict in a way that guarantees Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stated. On the contrary, the approach to the peace process presented by the Russian Federation “leaves no room for negotiations”, serving as an inept justification for the continuation of the war. “The peace terms proposed by Russia are unacceptable to the entire civilized world,” he asserted. Poland was among the signatories of the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework agreed to in Switzerland, he noted, expressing hope that “progress made towards nuclear safety, food security and humanitarian issues will allow us to come closer to just peace”.
The representative of Germany said that, as a result of its relentless shelling, and missile and drone attacks, much of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure lies in ruins. Millions of people in that country are affected. “It is therefore imperative that we tackle the question of reconstruction early on, while the war is still ongoing,” he said, noting that Germany co-hosted last week’s international Ukraine recovery conference in Berlin, with more than 3,400 representatives from the public and private sector and international and non-governmental organizations. This Berlin conference showed broad unity and solidarity in support of Ukraine, with over 110 agreements signed and investments amounting to about $17 billion announced.
The representative of Italy, aligning himself with the European Union, said that the recent peace summit in Switzerland “marked a first important step towards restoring diplomacy’s rightful role”. Full implementation of the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity concerns the entire UN membership, he stressed, as respect for these principles “is what holds the international community together”. He therefore called on all Member States to “not get misled by fake narratives confusing peace with surrender” or those artificially pitting the West against the East or the South. “The outcome of this conflict and the destiny of the system of rules based on the UN Charter are clearly intertwined,” he underscored. Diplomacy is needed “to sustain the legitimate concerns and expectations of developing countries” facing disruptions to global supply chains and food security, he said, encouraging the participation of all partners from Asia, Africa and Latin America in discussions towards peace.