This current state of war remains a choice that President Putin is making: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Fergus Eckersley, Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
How is it that Russia can sit here and claim any sort of commitment to diplomacy, while at the same time ramping up missile and drone strikes on Kyiv?
A six-year-old boy was amongst those killed last night by Russian missiles in Kyiv.
The problem is that for all its words, the Russian state has geared itself for war.
A war of aggression, a war of Russia’s own making.
The government bolsters its legitimacy and suppresses opposition by stoking fears about external enemies.
Russia’s economy is now highly dependent on military industrial production, with almost 40% of government spending on defence, more than 8% of GDP.
And the President has defined himself politically as the man who can conquer so-called neo-Nazism in Ukraine, and the threat that he claims NATO poses to Russia.
In reality, these are challenges of his own creation.
Ukraine is not ruled by neo-Nazis, and NATO does not pose a threat to Russia.
NATO merely stands with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion.
The consequences of a militarised Russian state are not limited to the appalling tragedies felt every day by Ukraine’s brave people.
Russia itself has suffered over a million casualties as a result of its own war.
The wider region is also directly dealing with the effects of Russia’s aggression.
And ultimately, we all are. Russia’s actions are an affront to the UN Charter principles and international law.
The very foundations of all of our peace and security.
The consequences for the wider international system are also clear.
While members of this Council discuss how to bring peace to Sudan, Russia tries to leverage access to a naval base.
While we discuss peace in Mali, Russia has pushed out the UN to secure advantage for its private military contractors.
While we discuss sanctions to prevent nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula, Russia tries to undermine those sanctions to access military supplies for its war machine.
There is another pathway.
President Putin could accept the truth that there is no threat to Russia, not from Neo-Nazis and not from NATO.
He could choose to engage in good faith in a ceasefire and in peace talks based on the UN Charter.
Until then, this state of war remains a choice that President Putin is making.
We need to continue to show that there is no good outcome for Russia from its aggression, that we will remain staunch in our support for the defence of Ukraine, including through the provision of weapons systems in the face of relentless Russian attacks on critical national infrastructure and civilians.
We must be vigilant in clamping down on any military industrial support for Russia, including by preventing the export of dual-use items.
And we need to continue to demonstrate to Russia the economic costs of the choice it is making, and not give its militarised state a lifeline that it can feed on.
Ultimately, we must not let up in affirming the principles of the UN Charter.
Every Member State at the UN has a responsibility in this, to support a peace process that only Russia, only Russia is currently rejecting.
As President Trump has made clear, there is no reason for delay.
Russia must make progress towards a meaningful peace immediately.
But the world has seen Russia’s response.
That is why, as President Zelenskyy said, peace without strength is impossible.
So it is now that we need to meet our responsibility to stand together and to demand that Russia immediately ceases its aggression and adheres to the call for a just and a lasting peace.