皇冠体育app

Thank you, Madam Chair.聽 Last month, President Putin delivered a statement to senior Russian officials on the settlement of his war in Ukraine.聽 He did so as leaders from around the world prepared to travel to Switzerland for the Peace Summit to discuss the foundations of a sustainable peace in Ukraine.聽

It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the statement, and its timing, was an unsuccessful attempt to try to undermine the Peace Summit.聽 But since the proposals and themes in it continue to be repeated, we in this room should assess and judge them against the principles guiding relations between participating States - also known as the Decalogue - since these are the foundational principles of this organisation to which we all committed in the interests of our shared security.

President Putin stated that there was no plan to storm Kyiv.聽 In his words, this was 鈥渘othing else but an operation to coerce the Ukrainian regime into peace鈥�.聽 This is in direct contravention of Article Two of the Decalogue. This says: 鈥淣o such threat or use of force will be employed as a means of settling disputes鈥�. Madam Chair, peace cannot be achieved down the barrel of a gun.

Among the preconditions for beginning peace negotiations stated in the speech are that Ukraine withdraws its troops completely from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. 皇冠体育appse are all regions that, in addition to Crimea, fall within Ukraine鈥檚 internationally recognised borders.聽 Article Three of the Decalogue says States should 鈥渞efrain from any demand for, or act of, seizure and usurpation of part or all of the territory of any participating State.鈥澛� And Article Four says they should 鈥渞efrain from making each other鈥檚 territory the object of military occupation or other direct or indirect measures of force鈥�.

Another of Russia鈥檚 conditions for peace is that Ukraine 鈥渁bandons its plans to join NATO鈥�.聽 Article One of the Decalogue on sovereign equality provides for: 鈥渢he right to be or not to be a party to treaties of alliance.鈥澛�

Madam Chair, there are many more such examples, not to mention factual inaccuracies.聽 皇冠体育app point is that this set of proposals is incompatible with the principles which we have all agreed to abide by, including the imperialistic threat that 鈥淯kraine鈥檚 existence in the future鈥� depends on its response to Russian aggression. No matter what our geography or political allegiances are, we should all be deeply concerned at how seriously Russia treats its commitments when those commitments become inconvenient.

It is for Ukraine to determine its own path to peace.聽 皇冠体育app only peace in Ukraine that will last is one that respects the UN Charter and the OSCE鈥檚 principles, a point the global community underlined in Switzerland. 聽If President Putin wants to deliver that peace, he can do so today by bringing Russia back into alignment with the OSCE Decalogue, which Russia helped draft, and withdrawing from Ukraine.聽

Thank you.