Ambassador Neil Holland calls out Russia's hollow words
about peace while it continues to terrorise Ukraine's civilian
population and infrastructure.
Thank you, Madame Chair. It is now 29 days since Ukraine
expressed its readiness to accept a full, unconditional and
immediate 30-day ceasefire. If Russia reciprocated, we would
be a huge step closer to ending this terrible war. They are
yet to take this step.
Instead of showing a commitment to peace, President Putin has
chosen to dither, delay and destroy. We have heard desperate
and false accusations about the legitimacy of Ukraine's
democratically-elected President. This week the Kremlin said
there remained questions “hanging in the air”, including what
they say is Ukraine's lack of control over those defending their
homeland and its so-called militarisation. These accusations
come from a government that has deployed North Korean troops to
the front line and has just ordered the biggest conscription
since the war began. They are absurd.
While the Russian state delays a ceasefire, it continues to
terrorise Ukraine's civilian population with indiscriminate
aerial attacks. Earlier this week we met to condemn Russia's
awful missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, which claimed the lives of 20
people, including nine children, on 4 April. This attack
came only a day after a further five civilians were killed by
Russian drone strikes in Kharkiv and was followed by further
civilian casualties during aerial attacks over the
weekend. Since Ukraine committed to pursue a full ceasefire,
Russia's aerial attacks have increased.
Russia claims to have been respecting an energy ceasefire since
18 March, but it continues to launch attacks which result in
damage to energy infrastructure, including two in the last week
which left 50,000 people without power. Even when it appeared
that Russia had agreed to the proposed Black Sea ceasefire, it
immediately backtracked, imposing new and unwarranted conditions.
And yet Russia has the cheek to accuse Ukraine of not being
serious about peace.
Killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure is not
the behaviour of a state genuinely willing to pursue meaningful
peace talks. These attacks on the people of Ukraine, including
its children and most vulnerable citizens, demonstrate the
Russian Government's true intentions. Their words of peace are so
far hollow. We urge the Russian government to commit to peace,
end the barbaric attacks on Ukraine's civilians, and finally
demonstrate the sincerity of its words.
