9 July 2026<\/p>\n
9 July 2026<\/p>\n
The Council meets today because Russia continues to choose escalation over peace.<\/p>\n
Since we last met, Russia has launched not one but two massive attacks on Ukraine, with devastating consequences for civilians.<\/p>\n
This past weekend, Russia launched 351 drones and 68 missiles against Ukraine, primarily targeting Kyiv.<\/p>\n
At least 26 civilians were killed. More than 120 injured.<\/p>\n
This is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a deliberate and escalating campaign of long-range strikes against Ukrainian cities.<\/p>\n
Russia has now launched five mass strikes involving 70-plus missiles since 23 May.<\/p>\n
Before that, we had only seen a single such strike in the previous year.<\/p>\n
These are not just numbers.<\/p>\n
They represent apartment blocks shattered in the middle of the night, families forced into shelters, children woken by air raid sirens, and civilians killed and injured in their own homes.<\/p>\n
Behind every missile and drone is a conscious decision by Russia to bring its war deeper into Ukrainian cities, inflicting fear, trauma, and suffering on millions of people.<\/p>\n
But to what end?<\/p>\n
No one can mistake these as actions of a state seeking peace.<\/p>\n
They are the actions of a state prolonging war.<\/p>\n
War which has failed to achieve Putin\u2019s imperialistic ambitions and that fails to substantiate false narratives, as we again heard today, used to justify such devastation.<\/p>\n
Russia speaks half-heartedly of negotiations while intensifying its attacks.<\/p>\n
It claims to want security while violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbour.<\/p>\n
Every member of this Council is calling for fighting to stop, but Russia refuses to listen.<\/p>\n
This escalation will not bring peace.<\/p>\n
More civilian casualties will not bring a sustainable settlement.<\/p>\n
President, after five years in the Council, this will be my last meeting.<\/p>\n
And I thank colleagues for their partnership as I have rotated around this table four times in 60 months, wrestling with conflict and crises from Africa and the Middle East, to Asia and Latin America.<\/p>\n
For four and a half of those years, our work here has taken place in the shadow of Russia\u2019s brazen, illegal war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n
In January 2022, I warned that \u201cany Russian invasion or act of aggression against Ukraine would be a gross breach of international law and Russia\u2019s commitments under the Charter.\u201d<\/p>\n
That conflict \u201cwould result in terrible bloodshed and destabilise the entire international community.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it would lead to \u201cCivilians caught in the crossfire\u2026 Families grieving the loss of fallen soldiers on both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time, the Russian representative denied any plans to invade.<\/p>\n
He called Western warnings of a Russian attack \u201chysterical\u201d and \u201cprovocative.\u201d<\/p>\n
As tanks rolled into Ukraine on 24 February in the so-called military operation, a phrase I again heard used today, Putin said \u201cWe are not going to impose anything on anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
So here we are, four and a half years later. Ukrainian sovereignty violated, and territory occupied. Over 65 thousand Ukrainian civilian casualties. 1.4 million Russian soldiers dead or injured.<\/p>\n
Nations across the world are calling for a ceasefire to end this senseless war.<\/p>\n
All members of this Council have called for de-escalation, and yet Russia refuses.<\/p>\n
The way forward is clear.<\/p>\n
Russia must stop its attacks, agree to a ceasefire, and engage seriously in negotiations for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, in line with the UN Charter.<\/p>\n
As has been the case from day one, bringing an end to this senseless slaughter is entirely in Russia\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
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