Statement 

of the Delegation of Ukraine  

at the Thirty-Fifth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

agenda item 13 “Reports of the Secretary-General under article 319”

(25 June 2025)

Mr. President,

We welcome the Secretary-General’s report under agenda item 75 “Oceans and the Law of the Sea”, and especially the part that speaks to the heart of what is now an urgent global challenge: maritime safety and security.

As a maritime nation, Ukraine knows this all too well. For us, maritime security is not an abstract concept, it is the lifeline for our people, for our economy, and for millions beyond our borders. Because what happens at sea does not stay at sea. Every missile strike, every blockade, every sunken vessel shakes the foundations of global energy and food security. When ships stop sailing, the world stops feeding.

Yet even under daily threat, Ukraine stands firm. After Russia’s unilateral withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023, we didn’t give up. We didn’t retreat. Instead, Ukraine launched its own humanitarian maritime corridor — operating under the shadow of drones, missiles, and warships — and delivered food to more than 50 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. This was not just trade. This was defiance. This was solidarity with the world.

But let us be honest: the Black Sea today is not safe. It has been turned into a war zone. Since the attempted illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, and especially since the full-scale invasion, Russia has systematically militarized our seas, turned our ports into war depots, and turned our trade routes into targets.

Over 500 missile and drone attacks have been launched on over 400 port facilities. More than 100,000 tons of food meant for export were destroyed. These are not accidents. These are acts of deliberate sabotage — attempts to weaponize hunger, to strangle our economy, and to destabilize the world.

And if that weren’t enough, Russia has also poisoned our waters.

In December 2024, two Russian oil tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, sank in the Kerch Strait. The result? A massive ecological disaster. Fuel oil spewed into the sea, suffocating marine life, blackening our shores, and spreading ecological ruin far beyond the Crimean coast. This incident starkly illustrates that maritime security also entails protecting fragile marine ecosystems. Accountability for such harm is imperative.

Mr. President,

Ukraine will never stop defending the freedom of navigation. We will never stop working with partners through the IMO and other forums to uphold the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and enforce Security Council resolutions. We welcome the adoption of IMO Resolution A.1183(33) — a powerful recognition of the destructive impact of Russia’s war on global shipping and the need to protect vital maritime functions, even during armed conflict.

Let’s be clear: there can be no lasting maritime security without justice. There can be no safe passage while aggression goes unpunished.

Ukraine fights not just for its survival, but for a world where the seas are open, the rules are respected, and might does not make right.

Ukraine stands firm in its pursuit of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, grounded in the UN Charter and international law. Such a peace must include the full restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, accompanied by clear and enforceable security guarantees. This is the only path toward true regional stability, the restoration of maritime security, and the protection of global markets.

Thank you.