Mister President,
Once again, Russia is attempting to justify its military aggression against its neighbor, in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, by trying to portray the attacked party as the aggressor. We reject the narrative presented in the concept note and regret that yet another Arria-formula meeting is being organized in an attempt to defend Russia's inexcusable actions.
Switzerland stands firm in its defense of respect for international humanitarian law and human rights. We call on all parties to respect their obligations at all times and in all places, including the obligation to protect civilians.
The suffering in Ukraine is immense. The growing number of reports from credible and independent organizations, including the United Nations and the OSCE, document alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia in Ukraine. They report indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks that have killed and injured civilians and destroyed civilian property, including protected assets such as hospitals. They also describe a series of repeated attacks on energy infrastructure, summary executions of civilians, systematic use of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of war, forced deportations of civilians and sexual violence. We urge Russia to respond by putting an immediate end to these grave violations, and to strictly respect all its obligations under international law. Once again, we call on Russia to withdraw its military forces from Ukrainian territory.
The impact of this war is being felt beyond Ukraine, including in Russia. We stress that the situation in Kursk and other regions of the Russian Federation is a direct consequence of Russia’s military aggression. Ukraine has the right to ensure its security and defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty - while respecting its obligations under international law.
Regarding Russia's accusations against the Ukrainian armed forces, we refer to the information from OHCHR, which notes that it has not been able to establish the exact circumstances of the casualties in Kursk due to lack of access and limited available public information. We thus call on Russia to cooperate fully with international monitoring and investigative bodies and to facilitate OHCHR's request for access, including to areas of Russia affected by the conduct of hostilities and to the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Switzerland continues to support national and international investigative efforts, including the work of the International Criminal Court. All crimes must be investigated and those responsible held to account, regardless of where or who they may be.
For the sake of civilians, this military aggression must end. Efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in full compliance with the principles of the UN Charter, must continue. Switzerland remains determined to contribute to these efforts.
I thank you for your attention.