Statement by H.E. Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at the UNSC High-level Arria Formula meeting “75 Years from the End of the Second World War on European Soil"

Statement by H.E. Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, at the UNSC High-level Arria Formula meeting “75 Years from the End of the Second World War on European Soil"

As delivered

Mr President,

Excellencies,

I wish to thank our Estonian friends for organizing a discussion, in which all of us can actively contribute.

Ukraine is one of the countries that suffered the most during the greatest tragedy of the XX century - World War II, which brought unspeakable human suffering and horrors of the Holocaust to Europe. Even conservative estimates put the number of my perished compatriots at 8.5 million. Over 7 million of Ukrainians fought against Nazism in seven armies – in the Red Army, in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, in the Polish, French, British, Canadian and US armed forces.

Today we remember and mourn all those who died defending their homeland, both native and adopted, defending humanity itself. Their ultimate sacrifice was not in vain as on May 8, 1945 the Nazi capitulated and the Allies prevailed.

Mr. President,

For a short while, a hope was alive that with the establishment of the United Nations a more just and peaceful world will emerge, where the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state would be unimaginable.

Alas, for some, including one of the UN Security Council permanent members, this commitment does not mean too much. The Russian aggression against Ukraine, which led to the illegal occupation of Crimea and parts of Donbas, is already lasting longer than the Second World War. It resulted in over 13 000 people killed and more than 27000 wounded at the very heart of Europe.

We regret the elevation of the role of Stalin in Russia. It pursues the goal of rehabilitation of a totalitarian state with a single unblemished leader at its head.

It serves to imitate a sense of regime flawlessness, create an image of an external enemy and justify Moscow’s aggression against neighbors, like Ukraine and Georgia, and the hybrid war against many other countries.

Disregard for the historical truth and manipulation of the legacy of the WWII bear a striking resemblance of what was happening in Europe in the 1930s of the past century. This is a lesson to be learned again.

Excellencies,

75 years ago, as the world started recovering from the wounds of World War II, UN founding fathers, among whom were representatives of my country, established a global institution with the aim of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

Today we must remain vigilant, proactive and true to the spirit and letter of the UN Charter, if we are to achieve this goal.

Thank you.