Statement of Permant Representative of Latvia
H.E. Ambassador Andrejs Pildegovičs
on behalf of the Baltic states
at the United Nations Security Council briefing on Ukraine
5 May 2022, New York
Madam President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the three Baltic states – Estonia, Lithuania, and my own country Latvia.
We thank the UN Secretary General, High Commissioner Bachelet, USG Griffiths as well as NGO representative for their insightful, but sobering briefings.
We appreciate the SG’s important visits to Kyiv and Moscow, in particular, his humanitarian plea and engagement, which seem to have resulted in very practical life-saving humanitarian action on the ground, notably in Mariupol.
We also positively note the close and effective cooperation between the UN and the ICRC in this regard. In the future, the UN should build further on this, although, limited success. Unfortunately, these achievements are far from solving the tragic security and humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian aggression.
Moreover, many more people remain trapped in the Azovstal iron and steel works complex, in conditions that humanitarian workers have described as hell. Yet, it has been again under heavy fire from the Russian airstrikes. We call on Russia to immediately cease all hostilities and allow safe evacuation of remaining civilians trapped in the complex.
We also call on all relevant UN mechanisms to maintain their focus on the situation of civilians affected by the Russian aggression in Ukraine, especially on their rescue and evacuation from areas of persistent hostilities.
Madam President,
It has been more than two months since Russia, the permanent member of this Council, launched its aggression against Ukraine in grave violation of international law, including the principles of the UN Charter.
Russia has persistently ignored the calls by the UN General Assembly as well as the order of International Court of Justice to cease aggression and to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine. We strongly condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus as Russia’s accomplice.
Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of the fastest-growing displacement and humanitarian crises on record.
Over 17 million people inside and outside Ukraine now are in need of humanitarian assistance. 7.7 million people are now internally displaced and more than 5 million refugees have fled into countries neighboring Ukraine and beyond. 90 per cent of refugees are women and girls. They need urgent humanitarian assistance, a cessation of hostilities and safe passage, including through the creation of humanitarian corridors to allow those who wish to do so leave voluntarily to the destination of their choice.
In this light, we are concerned about the reports of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, including children, forcibly moved to the so called “filtration camps” and then – to the territory of the Russian Federation, often unaccompanied by their parents.
Madam President,
Russia’s denials, deceptions, lies, disinformation, war propaganda, incitement for violence and dehumanizing language against Ukrainians do not change the fact that Russia is committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and other violations of international humanitarian and human rights law against the civilian population in Ukraine.
As underlined by the UN SG, those directly responsible for these war crimes and violations on Ukrainian soil must be held accountable. There will be no impunity. There will be accountability for this horror, and international justice will be done.
The Baltic States will continue to steadfastly support all efforts to ensure independent and effective investigations into crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were among the first to refer the situation in Ukraine to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and we will continue to support the office of the Prosecutor in its investigation concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.
Madam President,
The impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine is reaching beyond Europe. Millions of people globally are already on the brink of famine and Russia’s invasion will further exacerbate the negative impact on global food security and prices on the world market, therefore, increasing the threat of hunger to many countries. Ukraine is the world’s fifth-largest exporter of wheat.
However, the shelling and bombing makes it almost impossible for Ukrainian farmers to sow. On top of this, the Russian Federation is blocking hundreds of ships filled with wheat in the Black Sea. 20 million tons of grain from the last year’s harvest have been trapped in Ukraine due to Russia’s blockade and bombardment of Odessa’s sea port and the military closure of the sea lanes in the Black Sea. This is all the result of the Russian aggression and not sanctions or anything else as the Russian propaganda suggest.
We call on Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports and restore the freedom of navigation. We encourage the Security Council and the relevant UN agencies to consider the ways to ensure the safe passage for grain-carrying ships to Ukraine’s territorial waters across the Black Sea.
I thank you.