Mr. President,

I thank the briefers for their insightful remarks at the beginning, and I thank you, Mr. President, for chairing this timely debate.

It is timely, because it is essential that we speak about the continued erosion of the fundamental norms and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations that Russia causes.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine should be seen for what it is – an assault on these basic tenets of peaceful coexistence. The incessant and ongoing attacks affect key principles that form the basis of our cooperation in these halls and they pose a threat to regional security as well as to global peace and stability. It therefore necessitates a collective and decisive response by Member States.

I would therefore like to make following three points:

Firstly, it is rare that one party to a conflict is so clearly responsible for its start and its continuation. Russia deems the fighting and killing more advantageous to its plans of territorial conquest than peace. Ukraine, on the other hand, has reiterated time and again that it is willing to negotiate in good faith to find a peaceful solution.

At the onset of winter, Russia is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine with rocket and drone strikes, as we’ve heard. Such attacks are coldly calculated to demoralise the civilian population and in clear breach of international humanitarian law. Families, children, the elderly - the entire population is suffering.

Secondly, the security of most, if not all Member States of the United Nations depends on the upholding of international law. That is why we must preserve the inviolability of the UN Charter and the fundamental rules and principles laid out therein.

The invasion of a peaceful country by a permanent member of the Security Council represents a perversion of the UN system, which we must never normalise or accept. The privilege of permanent Security Council membership entails a special duty to uphold the UN Charter.

Thirdly, a call for an immediate, unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire should be a step which we can all support. It would at once reduce the prolonged and unnecessary suffering of the civilian population.

As the war grinds on, the harmful impacts of the conflict continue to extend beyond Ukraine. That is evident in countless violations of European air space, as well as most recently in acts of sabotage against Polish rail infrastructure.

Mr. President,

We will not rest until a sustainable and just peace is achieved. A peace that is rooted in the principles of the UN Charter and negotiated with Ukraine at the table. We need an unconditional ceasefire now – to stop the bloodshed and to lay the foundation of trust for sincere negotiations.

The people of Ukraine have the right to live in peace and security. And Germany continues to support Ukraine in exercising its legitimate right to self-defence.

I thank you.