Statement by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine, Ambassador Sergíy Kyslytsya at the UN Security Council meeting on situation in Ukraine

Mr. President,

Distinguished members of the Security Council,

I also recognize here the representative of terrorist russia in the permanent seat of the Soviet Union.

I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu for her briefing.

In 2008 russia invaded Georgia. In her 2008 Christmas TV broadcast Queen Elizabeth II said what’s today one of her most famous quotes. Not only famous but is very relevant to the tragic events in Europe as the result of the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified war of russia against Ukraine, and against entire civilized world. Queen Elizabeth II said, “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” The world will miss the Queen’s wisdom. Let her Majesty Rest In Peace!

By launching its aggression against Ukraine in 2014, by invading Ukraine in February 2022 Russia has violated the norms and principles of practically all fundamental international documents, including bilateral and multilateral agreements, the Helsinki Final Act and, first and foremost, the UN Charter.

No one on this planet but Damascus and Pyongyang would doubt this and it makes no sense to waste the Security Council’s already wasted time on substantiating this point.

Let me just refer to the UN General Assembly resolution adopted at the 11th Emergency special session on 2 March by an overwhelming majority of 141 Member-State and which deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in violation of Article 2(4) of the Charter. International law guards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. International law explicitly confers on us the inherent right to self-defense, enshrined in particular in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Not a single state present in this Chamber, besides Russia, is responsible for the Council’s inability to effectively perform its functions under the UN Charter. It is solely the presence of russia in the permanent seat of the Soviet Union that has immobilized the Security Council in relation to ensuring the peace and security of Ukraine.

We are defending ourselves, Europe, the world and the UN Charter, and we will keep on fighting until the last inch of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, including Crimea, is liberated. I emphasize, in strict accordance with the provisions of Article 51 of the UN Charter that we all have committed to uphold. We will fight against the occupiers until all the russian soldiers who entered Ukraine to kill its people are defeated.

The only thing that putin can do to save the lives of his soldiers is to order their immediate withdrawal. The level of human suffering and destruction in Ukraine, the level of the global implications of the Russian war of aggression make it clear that fighting putin today can only be compared to our common fight against Hitler during the Second World war.

Let me remind you that the document entitled the Declaration by United Nations, and this was the first time that the term United Nations was used, was signed in 1942 in Washington D.C. to unite the peoples throughout the globe in their struggle against the Nazis.

As former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev wrote in his memoirs: “If the United States had not helped us, we would not have won the war”. Even dictator Stalin offered the same opinion in Tehran in 1943. It was due to this global unity, due to lend-lease, due to the assistance of the American people and other Allies, that we succeeded in defeating Hitler. The evil of putin as that of hitler before him requires a global response.

This was the case during the Second World war. This is the case right now and Ukraine and its allies are doing their best to ensure such a response. The liberation of Ukrainian territories that is well underway in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions serves as the best proof of the effectiveness of our efforts.

The russian federation has already abused the Security Council on many occasions, including this week. We call on russia to learn to respect this body. It is apparent, however, that the russian delegation has lot of delusions - false beliefs that are not based in reality.

Hallucinations – seeing or hearing things that don't exist. And an endless list of other negative symptoms. It is a difficult condition. But let me suggest that those symptoms should be studied and treated not in this Chamber and not by diplomats. They require a different type of qualification, and different offices. Perhaps less than a mile from the UN HQ on the same First Avenue. So, take them there and ask for therapy! Yet, there's only one truly right avenue to save the lives of thousands of Ukrainian and in fact russian citizens.

That is to surrender and withdraw! If that does not happen no therapy will help.

Thank you.