Виступ делегації України на відкритому засіданні Контртерористичного комітету РБ ООН

Mr. Chairman,

Ukraine has always been among those who actively supported international efforts aimed at eradication of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including with the use of Internet and terrorist narratives.

During the past decades a number of important achievements were made with a view to advance new counter-terrorism standards as well as to further amplify international response to both existing and emerging terrorist threats.

Regrettably, despite these efforts, hostilities don’t cease. Neither on the ground nor in the cyber space. Up to date we are witnessing terrorist attacks in different parts of the world causing huge number of deaths and casualties, disrupt significantly the functioning of societies, wreak havoc and fear. Terrorism continues to threaten our core values and principles, including human rights, the rule of law, democracy, equal opportunity and freedom. We are affected by more sophisticated methods and tactics by terrorists and their sponsors.

Unfortunately, Ukraine knows too well how evil terrorism can be. Russian armed aggression against Ukraine launched 8 years ago by temporary occupation of Crimea and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, has led to multiple terrorist activities on the occupied territories and beyond.

Even then, the Russian Federation, using terrorism as one of the tools of its hybrid aggression against Ukraine, violated most of fundamental obligations under related international conventions and SC resolutions on counter terrorism.

Among other things, it concerns obligations to refrain from providing any form of support to terrorists; to eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists; to suppress recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters and their movement; to prohibit terrorist incitement, in particular by spreading radical and totally false narratives and ideology against Ukraine and Ukrainians as a hostile nation, as “Nazis” and “fascists”. And now the so called “denazification” is the pretext of the so called “special military operation” of Russia on our territory, which, what is horrible, is supported by a large part of the population of the Russian Federation!

Mr. Chairman,

For almost one month already, a full-scale war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine on 24 February, continues at the very heart of Europe. Shelling and bombing by the Russian forces continue to destroy Ukrainian towns and cities causing suffering and deaths of thousands of innocent people, including women and children.

The inhabitants of Mariupol have been under siege for more than three weeks. They are shelled and bombed every day and every night. The most of the city’s residential areas have been destroyed. Russian armed forces are blocking the delivery of humanitarian assistance and evacuation of the civilian population to other parts of Ukraine.

On March 19, the Russian occupation forces illegally deported to the territory of the Russian Federation 2,389 children who were in the occupied districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Forced displacement of civilians into the territory of the aggressor state, including children, shows signs of abduction.

With its full-scaled invasion, Russia has brought the horror of terrorism to the entire territory of Ukraine. It commits terrorist activities in Ukraine on a regular basis. Russia's war crimes do not stop. Therefore, the world must finally officially recognize that Russia has become a terrorist state.

Mr. Chairman,

If we talk about terrorist narratives, let's mention Russian narratives about developing weapons of mass destruction on the territory of Ukraine.

Such narratives are disseminated by the Russian Federation in its official statements and press conferences, including here at the UN.

The narratives about the alleged threat of terrorist acts by Ukrainian forces with the use of weapons of mass destruction should be considered as a terrorist threat from the Russian Federation. Just think – Russia has invaded foreign territory with its troops, shelling and terrorizing our population – and against this background still accuses our country of destroying Ukrainian infrastructure and killing Ukrainian people, including with the use of toxic chemicals, biological weapons, phosphorus bombs, cluster munitions! It's shameful, brutal and totally unacceptable.

Russia also continues its acts of nuclear terrorism against Ukraine, in particular by shelling and capturing Ukrainian nuclear power plants, namely the Zaporizhzhya and Chornobyl NPPs, and other civilian nuclear infrastructure of Ukraine. This is a direct violation of Article 56 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, which prohibits any attack on nuclear power plants.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, taking this opportunity, let me stress that Russia must stop this war. Ukraine together with the international community reiterates the demand, that Russia cease its military action and withdraw all forces from the entire territory of Ukraine immediately and unconditionally, in line with the respective UNGA resolutions and in line with the order of the International Court of Justice of the 16th of March.

Thank you.