Statement by Chargée d’Affaires,

Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine Khrystyna Hayovyshyn

at the UNSC meeting on “Threats to international peace and security”

(17 February 2025)

Thank you, Mr. President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Mr. Miroslav Jenča for his briefing.

Today’s meeting serves as a reminder of how the Russian Federation treats those agreements to which it is a party. The Minsk agreements are a powerful example. One among many.

On this very day in 2022, in this very Chamber, the delegation of Ukraine, along with many Security Council’s members, expressed concern over dangerous developments triggered by the Russian Federation.

These include the buildup of troops along the border with Ukraine and the line of contact in Donbas, as well a parliamentary appeal urging Putin to recognize the temporarily occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as so-called “people’s republics.”

Both actions ran counter to Russian Federation’s obligations under the Minsk agreements, and were aimed at laying the groundwork for escalating its aggression against Ukraine to the level of a full-scale war.

Let me remind that at that meeting Russia assured the Security Council that [I quote] “there is no alternative to that momentous document”, notably the Minsk agreements.

Almost immediately the Russian Federation killed the Minsk agreements, brutally and deliberately. Four days later, on February 21, 2022, Russian Federation recognized the so-called “independence” of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

A week later, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine.

Distinguished colleagues,

Let me reiterate that although not adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, resolution 2202 (2015) was a very important message from the Council to all parties, including to Russian Federation, to implement the Minsk agreements.

Let me also recall that the entire history of the Minsk agreements, since the first documents were signed in September 2014, was a long list of violations and disregard by Moscow of its own commitments.

As happened with paragraph 4 of the Minsk Protocol of 5 September 2014, envisaging [I quote] “establishment of a security area in the border regions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation”. It is interesting how such a clear commitment could align with Russia’s claims that it was not a party to the agreements. Needless to say, it was never implemented by Russia.

Paragraph 9 of the Minsk Memorandum, signed by Russia on 19 September 2014, stated that “all foreign military formations and military equipment, as well as militants and mercenaries, are to exit the territory of Ukraine under OSCE monitoring”. Also never implemented by Russia.

Finally, a week after the third Minsk document - a Package of measures – was signed on 12 February 2015, the Ukrainian city of Debaltseve sustained a full-fledged offensive and was occupied by regular Russian troops and their proxies.

These are just a few examples of how the Russian Federation violated the agreements almost immediately after signing them and all these violations finally paved the way to the Kremlin’s decision to invade Ukraine.

While Ukraine took unprecedented steps to find ways to achieve a peaceful settlement and put forward numerous proposals to this end, Russia spared no effort to obstruct the process, under various pretexts, effectively stalling the work of the Trilateral Contact Group long before the full-scale invasion.

Naturally, it always blamed Ukraine and manipulated quotes from foreign officials to justify its actions. Nothing has changed as we could see from today’s statement by the Russian delegation. To summarize all propaganda contained in the Russian delegation’s statement – it will be no surprise when the time comes that Russia, in an attempt to escape responsibility, refers to the entire “special military operation” as a Ukrainian provocation.

While the Russian Federation continues to put the blame on others, just last week we witnessed how Moscow yet again put the world on the brink of the nuclear disaster by carrying out a drone strike on the New Safe Confinement structure over the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Here again the criminal blamed the victim.

Unfortunately, it was not the only propaganda we have heard today.

It is baffling that such a simple idea – that people of Ukraine are pro-Ukrainian and that is why we defend and will continue to defend our native soil and ourselves – does not occur to the singers of the Russian propaganda. It is baffling that these advocates of diplomacy and common sense fail to understand that to prevent wars they should never have started by the aggressor. Even if aggressor calls the real war as a “special operation”. How dare one deprive an entire nation of its identity. It is a disgusting manifestation of colonialism at its core. It is because people of Ukraine are pro-Ukrainian, the Russian Federation has failed. It’s war.

It is important to remember, distinguished members of the Security Council, that Russia’s approach to new arrangements will not change either. What responsible states see as commitments to be upheld, Russian Federation treats as a tactical ploy. It will readily break any agreement the very moment its new aggressive plan requires so.

That’s why any arrangement involving the Kremlin must include enforcement mechanism and preventive measures.

Weak agreements will not bring real peace, they will only lead to the greater war. That is why we are working with our partners to find strong and effective solutions. Peace cannot be bought—especially not at the expense of law and principles, especially its principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity. Peace cannot be replaced with appeasement. History offers many relevant examples. Our task is to avoid repeating past mistakes, as the cost of those mistakes is more blood, suffering, and destruction.

Thank you.