Statement 

by Chargée d’Affaires of Ukraine to the United Nations Khrystyna Hayovyshyn at the UN Security Council meeting on “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”

(25 July 2025)

Mr. President,

I wish to express Ukraine’s sincere appreciation to the Presidency of Pakistan for convening today’s meeting.

We are also grateful to ASG Miroslav Jenča and ASG Joyce Msuya for their insightful briefings.

Tragically, since the last meeting of the Security Council in June, the security situation in Ukraine has not improved. On the contrary, the Russian Federation has intensified its campaign of terror through relentless drone and missile strikes, deliberately targeting civilians across our country.

This month, each massive attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure has broken previous records in the number of missiles, drones and bombs used, resulting in further civilian casualties and destruction.

Ukraine strives to ensure that the world hears the story of every life lost as a result of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression. Each life is irreplaceable — a profound loss that can never be undone.

Allow me to share one of, unfortunately, many such stories. This month, in the village of Pravdyne in Kherson region, a Russian drone strike claimed the life of Dmytro — a boy just one year and one month old — as he stayed in his great-grandmother’s home. The Russian military’s use of FPV drones to kill people, children has become increasingly widespread — a tactic that epitomizes the cruelty of this war of aggression.

Russia’s continued assault on civilians underscores the urgent need for sustained and increased international support to protect Ukraine’s population.

We are profoundly grateful to all partners providing air defense systems and other essential security assistance. We urge the continued and expanded supply of these vital capabilities — because for millions of Ukrainians, these systems are the difference between life and death.

Enhanced military support to Ukraine is vital and is not designed to “prolong the war,” as the Russian side falsely claims and will do so next week in this Chamber. On the contrary – this assistance helps to stop Russia’s war of aggression. If the aggressor state does not feel the consequences on its own territory, it will never stop its colonial war.

Mr. President,

While the Security Council meets every month and discusses the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia gradually continues its efforts to legitimize the temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories through the systematic militarization, indoctrination and assimilation of Ukrainian children and youth.

Under the guise of educational and so-called “patriotic” programs, Russia enforces a policy of Russification, implements its nationalist agenda, integrates local youth into its military structures and cultivates loyalty to the Kremlin’s regime — all while attempting to erase Ukrainian identity.

A key component of this policy is the involvement of children and adolescents in paramilitary organizations. Through state-run movements such as “Yunarmiya” (Young Army) and the “Movement of the First,” the Russian Federation is building a mobilization reserve to sustain its war of aggression not only against Ukraine, but also against what it labels the “collective West” and other perceived adversaries.

These actions constitute clear violations of Russia’s obligations as the occupying power under international humanitarian law as well as international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Russia is exploiting education and leisure — spaces meant for development and growth — to indoctrinate and militarize children whose worldviews are still forming. They are being turned into tools of war propaganda within a system disturbingly reminiscent of North Korea.

We call on the international community to confront these egregious violations and to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its systematic attempts to normalize war of aggression, temporary occupation of the territory of Ukraine and the instrumentalization of children in its war efforts.

Mr. President,

The Russian Federation continues to pursue criminal policies aimed at forcibly altering the demographic composition of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

Under the pretense of mortgage and housing assistance, Russia is actively resettling its own citizens into these areas — a strategy designed to entrench its temporary occupation of the territory of Ukraine and undermine the rights of the local population. Through a preferential mortgage program, the Kremlin has created favorable conditions for Russian citizens — including military personnel, educators, families with young children, and workers in the cultural and social sectors — to purchase property in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.

This program is available exclusively to Russian citizens, effectively excluding Ukrainians and using housing as a coercive tool to pressure them into accepting so-called “Russian passports.”

Furthermore, the Kremlin has drafted legislation setting out procedures for the administrative — that is, forced — expulsion of so-called “foreigners,” residing in the temporary occupied by the Russian Federation territory of Ukraine, who have not “regularized their legal status” under Russian law. In reality, this includes Ukrainian citizens who, through no fault of their own, remained in the temporary occupied territory of Ukraine but refused to accept Russian citizenship. These individuals are now labeled “disloyal” and deemed a threat to the Russian occupation administration — and are, therefore, subject to expulsion from their own country.

These actions represent a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

There must be no normalization of aggression through normalization of relations with the aggressor state — the Russian Federation — for as long as it continues to pursue imperialistic ambitions. You have just witnessed how maniacal Russia is about Ukraine.

Nor can there be normalization of Russia’s perception as an “influential power.” Influence cannot be divorced from responsibility.

As the renowned Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda wrote back in 18^th century: “It is commendable not to be liked by bad people.”

In the case of the Russian Federation, we say: it is commendable not to be liked by a rotten state.

Mr. President,

It has been 136 days since the United States put forward a proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine has accepted and has been consistently demonstrating readiness for diplomatic engagement. Ukraine has a clear political will. We remain open to any format that offers a path toward comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

By contrast, the Russian regime continues to show blatant contempt for diplomacy. It consistently rejects credible peace proposals and ignores repeated calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire. Russia could end this war at any moment. Instead, it chooses escalation — launching strikes on peaceful cities and intensifying offensive operations in pursuit of military advantage.

Russia also uses peace efforts to spread its manipulative narratives. Following a recent negotiation round held in Istanbul on July 23, its representatives made misleading public claims regarding the initial list of abducted children submitted earlier by Ukraine. We must clarify these facts. This initial list of 339 names was submitted by Ukraine as a confidence-building measure. To date, Russia has provided fragmented responses, offering partial information on fewer than one-fifth of the children. There has been no response at all concerning over 200 children, including those from the Kherson Orphanage. Russia also mentioned children from the list allegedly “returned.” In fact, only six children were returned, five of whom are siblings. This was the result of a year-long humanitarian effort mediated by the State of Qatar — a process demonstrating the power of third-party engagement, not Russian goodwill.

The Kremlin continues to expand its war of aggression against Ukraine, drawing others into its campaign of terror — including the use of North Korean troops and Iranian-manufactured weapons.

We therefore call on the United States and the international community to intensify coordinated pressure on the regime in Moscow and its military-industrial complex, as well as on those around the world who support and enable Russia’s war of aggression effort. The time for action is now and there is no room for delay.

Mr. President,

The Russian Federation has been extensively and systematically using anti-personnel landmines as a method of warfare against Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces.

When Ukraine signed and ratified the Ottawa Convention, it did so in good faith, relying on security assurances provided by the parties to the Budapest Memorandum. It could not have foreseen that a signatory to that very memorandum — the Russian Federation — would later on launch an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.

As a result of Russia’s widespread use of landmines, Ukraine has found itself in an unequal and unjust situation that severely constrains its inherent right to self-defense, as guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Accordingly, and in line with Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Ukraine has taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend the operation of the 1997 Ottawa Convention.

Mr. President,

As none of the sovereign and independent member states of the United Nations would, nor will Ukraine accept the temporary occupation by the Russian Federation of any part of its sovereign territory.

Ukraine seeks a comprehensive, just and lasting peace — one rooted in the principles of the United Nations Charter and backed by credible, binding and long-term security guarantees.

A full, immediate, unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire for at least 30 days remains a critical first step: it is the foundation for halting the war of aggression, restoring confidence and enabling meaningful negotiations.

At the last meeting in Istanbul, Ukraine clearly advocated for such a ceasefire. We also emphasize the importance of a high-level summit between leaders to lay the groundwork for a durable and comprehensive peace. Ukraine stands ready to convene such a summit meeting till the end of August.

The Security Council has a critical role to play at this juncture by expressing its unequivocal position on the urgent need to terminate hostilities as a first step towards comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine on the basis of the UN Charter.

In this context, we reiterate our call on the Council to adopt — without delay — a resolution demanding an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine strongly encourages all members of the Council to support and engage in moving forward this crucial initiative thereby demonstrating a credible commitment to ending the war of aggression, started by the Russian Federation.

Thank you.