Joint Statement

at the General Debate of the UNGA First Committee

delivered by Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine 

Khrystyna Hayovyshyn

13 October 2025, New York

 

Mr. Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and my own country, Ukraine.

We reaffirm our firm commitment to the rules-based international order founded on the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.

Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine represents a blatant violation of international law and a direct threat to global peace and security, undermining efforts to uphold non-proliferation and disarmament, stipulated by the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Russia’s actions endanger global food security, energy stability, nuclear safety and security, and the environment, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations worldwide.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s aggressive actions and irresponsible and nuclear rhetoric in its illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.

We express our serious concern with Russia’s most recent airspace violations in Estonia, Poland and Romania, which are unacceptable, escalatory, and irresponsibly undermining international security.

We strongly condemn Russia's continued indiscriminate attacks, killing civilians and destroying civilian objects, including critical energy infrastructure. Especially regarding the approaching winter, the energy security of Ukraine is seriously undermined by Russia.

We express serious concern that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) remains “precarious” with six of the ‘seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security” of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) being “compromised fully or partially”.

We are also deeply concerned by the nuclear safety and security risks posed by the vulnerabilities in Ukraine’s electricity grid resulting from Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. This includes the disconnection of Ukraine’s ZNPP from its last external power supply since 23 September, which poses significant challenges for nuclear safety. We also note with concern the damage arising from the 14 February 2025 drone strike against the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, built with international effort to ensure nuclear safety.

We firmly reject any attempts to consider the restart of the reactors at Ukraine’s ZNPP, which would be inconsistent with well-established nuclear safety principles. Any restart of the reactors at the ZNPP can only take place once the facility has been returned to the legitimate control and oversight of Ukraine’s competent regulatory authority.

We support the continued physical presence of IAEA experts at Ukraine’s ZNPP in full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The safety and security of the Agency staff remain of paramount importance. Delays in the completion of the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia (ISAMZ) rotations are unacceptable and we call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease any actions which hinder the timely conduct of ISAMZ rotations and put the safety of the Agency staff at risk.

We urge Russia to immediately cease all hostile actions against Ukrainian nuclear facilities and to withdraw its military and associated personnel from Ukraine’s ZNPP without delay, as required by the resolutions of the IAEA General Conference and Board of Governors as well as the UN General Assembly.

Moreover, the release of the unlawfully detained Ukrainian ZNPP personnel by the occupying Russian authorities remains not only a humanitarian imperative — it is a precondition for restoring basic trust and operational safety at the site.

We are seriously concerned by reports of the use of riot control agents by Russia as a method of warfare as well as the alleged use of choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian servicemen. In this regard, we note the findings of the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) reports of 18 November 2024, 14 February 2025, and 20 June 2025 concerning the OPCW Technical Assistance Visits requested by Ukraine which confirm the presence of riot control agents in samples taken from the frontlines in the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine.

We stress that any use of riot control agents as a method of warfare or chloropicrin constitute a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the global norm against the use of chemical weapons, and must be stopped immediately.

Mr. Chair,

We strongly condemn the continued military support provided to Russia by Belarus, Iran, and the DPRK, which enables Russia to sustain its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

We strongly condemn the ongoing military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including DPRK’s provision of ballistic missiles, artillery shells, other military materiel and the deployment of significant number of DPRK troops to Russia in combat operations against Ukraine. Such actions mark a dangerous expansion of the war with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security and represent flagrant violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We remain alarmed about the statements made by Russian officials claiming that the DPRK’s denuclearization is “off the table”, which is inconsistent with Russia’s NPT obligations. The DPRK cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapon state in accordance with the NPT.

We strongly condemn the transfer of advanced weaponry by Iran to Russia, which are used in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and in relentless attacks against the civilian population. These transfers directly contribute to Russia’s escalating violence in Ukraine, further threatening European security.

We urge all countries to immediately cease any direct or indirect assistance to Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine, including the provision of direct military aid and the supply of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia’s war effort.

Mr. Chair,

We reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters, as well as for Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defense against the illegal Russian aggression.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure Russia’s accountability for the serious crimes under international law committed in the Ukrainian territory and for the extensive damage caused by its actions.

We welcome the joint efforts by the United States, Ukraine, Europe, and others to stop the killing, to end Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and to achieve just, comprehensive and lasting peace, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations.

We urge the international community to use its influence and maximise pressure on Russia to immediately end this unlawful aggression.

Thank you.