Thank you, Mr Chair. Almost two and half years on, Russia's
illegal war of aggression continues unabated, posing a profound
challenge to the international order on which our prosperity and
security depends.
The outcome of this war matters to every member of this Forum.
Russia likes to advance its narrative of disinformation
advocating a ‘multipolar world', but in reality, this is nothing
more than a world where Russia is free to challenge its
neighbours' sovereignty and disregard the very security
architecture we are here to preserve.
Russia must not be allowed to operate with impunity, violating
the borders of other sovereign countries, dictating to other
sovereign nations which security arrangements it may or may not
make. It is imperative that Ukraine is successful in repelling
Russia's invasion because the consequences of a Russian victory
for Ukraine and the wider region are too dire to contemplate. But
Ukraine has shown, with our support, that they can win this war
and restore sovereignty over their internationally recognised
borders.
The reality is that this war has been a military and political
disaster for Russia. To date, more than half a million Russian
military personnel have been killed or wounded during Russia's
war. The average daily number of Russian casualties (killed
and wounded) in May was 1,200 per day. It is estimated that
70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the last
60 days alone. The Russian people are being forced to pay the
price for Russia's President's miscalculation - every Kinzhal
missile costs USD 7 million, as much as 130 Russian teachers'
annual salaries. With Defence now accounting for up to 30 per
cent of Russia's Federal government spending and 6 per cent of
its GDP, this war is taking its toll on Russia.
In framing its argument, Russia seeks to deflect from the reality
that there is one aggressor in this war: Russia itself. The
policies in support of Ukraine are not inherently anti-Russian,
nor do they pose an existential threat to Russia, as the Russian
narrative would have us believe. They simply require that Russia
ends hostilities towards Ukraine and withdraws from Ukraine's
internationally recognised borders.
In the face of Russia's disregard for international law, the
United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine. We do this
recognising that if Ukraine's borders are not secure, no one's
borders can be secure. That is why the United Kingdom has
committed, this year, to sending the UK's single largest package
of equipment to Ukraine, including air-defence and long-range
missiles, vehicles, and ammunition.
This is a demonstration of the United Kingdom's long-term
commitment to Ukraine and to European security more broadly.
In closing, Mr Chair, I reiterate that Russia's invasion poses a
profound challenge to the international order on which our
prosperity and security depends. This should matter to every
country, no matter where they are in the world. Ukraine's
security is inextricably linked to all of us, and the United
Kingdom will maintain the resolve and provide the ability to
ensure that Ukraine wins. Thank you.
