Thank you President and let me begin by joining the others in thanking Assistant Secretary-General Jenča for his comprehensive briefing today.
President, as you are aware, Russia launched a full-scale war of aggression against its neighbour, Ukraine, in February last year.
In conducting its war of aggression, Russia has repeatedly and deliberately targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. UN investigations have confirmed Russia is responsible for gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, which could amount to war crimes.
Russia has caused suffering and hardship for millions of people around the world by weaponising food. Just today it struck a Liberian-flagged civilian vessel entering the port of Odesa killing its pilot. It has shown complete disregard for human life, including by sending thousands of its own citizens to their needless deaths.
President, nine days ago, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published its initial report into the Hroza missile attack. Russia's attack on Hroza killed 59 people, making it the deadliest single incident for civilians since the launch of Russia's illegal invasion. The representative of the Russian delegation himself admitted in this Council that Russia deliberately struck the site in Hroza, but claimed it was to target military personnel. The UN's investigation concluded that there was no indication of military personnel or any other legitimate military targets at or adjacent to the café at the time of Russia's attack.
The Russian explanation has therefore, once again, proved to be a lie.
Russia of course has lied in this Council many times, both before and after it invaded Ukraine. Russia's biggest lie of all though is that it conducted its full-scale invasion, its annexation of Crimea, and its military invasion in the Donbas in 2014 for the benefit of the people there. The people of the Donbas faced no threat from the democratically elected government in Kyiv. Russia faced no threat from Ukraine. It faced no threat from NATO.
The reality is that Russia's President felt threatened by the aspirations of the Ukrainian people. 10 years ago this month Ukraine's pro-Russian President Yanukivych abandoned an association agreement with the EU that triggered peaceful protests in Kyiv. Just this week the European Commission has recommended that the EU Council open accession negotiations with Ukraine. It is clear, therefore, that President Putin has catastrophically failed to achieve his objectives and he will continue to do so.
Russia's claims about what may have happened in Donetsk yesterday have not been verified. They will remain unverified unless the UN or other independent bodies are given access.
Up to five million civilians in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine need urgent aid but Russia continues to block access, including to the UN.
President, complex human tragedies continue to unfold all over the world - in Sudan, in Myanmar, in Israel and in Gaza. The solutions are often equally complex. Too often, Russia has attempted to distract this Council with spurious meetings aimed to deflect and distract from its own crimes.
Too often Russia is not interested in solutions, but instead undermines this Council's work. But perhaps most egregious of all, Russia, a permanent member of this Council, continues to inflict suffering on Ukraine and across the globe when the solution is simple. Russia should withdraw from Ukraine's internationally recognised territory and end its war of aggression now.
