STATEMENT

by Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Аndrii Melnyk at the UN Security Council meeting on “Threats to international peace and security” (12 September 2025)

 

Mr. President, distinguished Members of this Security Council, dear State Secretary Bosacki,

Back in February this year, the Security Council adopted a very short resolution 2774 imploring — and I quote — a swift end to the conflict and further urging a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Let me remind you – Ukraine was not exactly thrilled with that text. We made no secret of our disappointment.

But unlike Russia, even though it voted in favor of that resolution and now does not give a damn about it, we do respect all the decisions of this Council – and we remain ready and committed to implement them.

And yet, here we are. Two hundred and one days later, we all have to confess that peace has not come galloping toward us on a white horse.

On the contrary, we are further away from peace than we have ever been.

The human toll is catastrophic:

Ukraine has suffered more civilian casualties over the last months than at any time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

And just two days ago, Moscow decided it was not enough to keep murdering Ukrainians.

Russia is spreading this conflagration in Europe – launching now its deadly drones into Poland’s airspace.

Let me express Ukraine’s full solidarity with the Polish people. We condemn this cynical provocation, this brazen attack.

Let me also be clear: we share the assessment of Polish authorities that this was not a “technical error”; it was not a lost GPS signal or any other fairytale that we have heard today.

It was a conscious decision of Russia to cross yet another red line and test our patience, the patience of the international community.

It was a conscious decision of Russia to deliberately escalate this war.

And if this escalation is left without a decisive reaction, Russia will not stop with Poland.

Tomorrow, it could be drones or even missiles falling on Berlin, Paris or London.

And the day after – who knows – something might even “accidentally” cross the Atlantic.

So today, we face a choice.

Does this Council continue to wait – until hell freezes over – before we act?

Or do we finally do what this Council was created to do: end, once and for all, this bloody war before it destroys the entire planet?

That is why the question of an immediate ceasefire is not an academic one.

For months, Ukraine has been calling upon this Council to pass a resolution on a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire.

We cannot afford to sit here and “wait for fair weather at sea,” while the storm already rages, tearing our sails apart.

It is the solemn duty of this Council to prevent this scenario before it is too late and to stop this madness before it swallows us all.

By sending drones to Ukraine and now to Poland, our neighbour, Russia is not just mocking this Council. It is spitting in your face. And yet we politely pretend that it is only raining.

If this Council does not act, if it fails to stop this new phase of Russia’s escalation, we are not talking about regional instability any longer.

We are staring into the abyss of a Third World War.

Colleagues,

this Council should have imposed crushing sanctions on Russia no later than dawn on 24 February 2022.

Instead, we have allowed the arsonist in the Kremlin to keep the keys to the fire station. Russia continues to abuse its veto as a fig leaf to cover its war crimes and block every attempt to restore peace.

But must this Council remain a hostage of this veto, condemned to wring its hands and watch as thousands of civilians die? Absolutely not.

Nothing – and I repeat – nothing prevents the other 14 members sitting at this table — and every single UN Member State — from doing what dozens of nations did in the first weeks and months of this war: the EU, the United States, the UK, Canada, Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and many others.

You can impose unilateral but coordinated sanctions that will choke Russia’s war machine, cut off its supply chains and stop the flow of components for those murderous drones and missiles that kill Ukrainians today — and threaten to kill our European neighbors tomorrow, as Moscow did just two days ago in Poland.

One day, history will one day knock on this door and ask: what did you do, sitting at this table, while Russia was trampling on the UN Charter?

Did you act — or did you just clear your throat, draft another “deeply concerned” statement, or just look away, bury your head in the sand and then proceed to the next agenda item?

Mr. President, colleagues,

We are not in Samuel Beckett’s play to amuse ourselves with endless waiting.

The world burns while we twiddle our thumbs waiting for Godot who will never arrive.

Please, dear colleagues, table this ceasefire resolution now.

I thank you for your attention.