Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues,

Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.

50 days ago, Ukraine accepted a proposal for a complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has renewed this proposal, extending its hand in goodwill to the aggressor, even when Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure continued unabated.

In the days following Easter, Russia further escalated its relentless attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. On April 24, Russia launched its most devastating attack of the year on Kyiv and its surrounding regions, bombarding residential areas with missiles and drones — killing and injuring innocent civilians in the heart of Ukraine’s capital.

A month ago, President Putin openly said that Russia will “finish Ukraine off” and will achieve all the goals of its so-called “special operation”. In an interview published on Monday, Foreign Minister Lavrov once again reiterated that the terms of a peace agreement should provide for the de-militarization and de-nazification of Ukraine.

In yesterday’s statement, the Russian delegation once again reaffirmed these positions, showing a clear disregard for Ukraine’s political sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Clearly, these are not bona fide gestures in a spirit of rapprochement required of those who seriously want to negotiate peace. Both sides – and most certainly the aggressor – must demonstrate their readiness to work towards a ceasefire.

Mr. President,

Germany reaffirms, once again, its steadfast commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Such a peace must not reward the aggressor. It must not demand the surrender of the victim.

We remain firm in our conviction that a sham peace – a peace imposed against the will of the Ukrainian people – will not endure. It will serve no one and it will not serve justice.

A future peace agreement must respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders – as repeatedly affirmed by the General Assembly, most recently on February 24.

The principles of the UN Charter – the Charter that safeguards all nations, large and small, from aggression – must be protected, for the sake of us all.

We call on Russia to demonstrate its willingness to achieve peace now, end its attacks immediately and agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire without further delay.

Thank you.