Mister President,
Switzerland deplores the fact that, once again, an Arria formula meeting is being used by Russia to promote its biased view of reality. These attempts to justify Russia's military aggression against Ukraine will not convince. This military aggression is a flagrant violation of international law, including the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.
The suffering caused to the Ukrainian population for almost two and a half years and the large-scale destruction of critical infrastructure are intolerable. The investigations carried out and the documentation provided by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, the OSCE Moscow Mechanism and the International Criminal Court make this abundantly clear.
Switzerland remains alarmed by the accumulation of reports of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia since the start of the military aggression. Disregard for the safety of civilians unfortunately still seems to be evident, as witnessed by several attacks with civilian casualties in recent days, such as the destruction of a supermarket in Kostyantynivka. This must stop.
We stress the urgent need for strict compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights by all parties. Civilians and civilian property must be protected. We recall that international humanitarian law grants special protection to installations containing dangerous forces, such as nuclear power plants.
Violations of human rights and international humanitarian law must be thoroughly investigated, and the alleged perpetrators brought to justice. Switzerland supports ongoing national and international accountability efforts, in particular the work of the International Criminal Court. We call on Russia to cooperate fully with international monitoring and investigative bodies, including by guaranteeing them access to the regions of Ukraine it currently occupies.
In conclusion, Switzerland reiterates its call on Russia to put an immediate end to this military aggression and to withdraw its forces from Ukrainian territory. We remain committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
I thank you.