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Madam President, I thank the Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson, [the Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović], John Ging of OCHA and the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Ambassador  Apakan, for their briefings.   22 months have passed since the beginning of aggressive actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. For nearly two years now, Ukraine has been suffering from a conflict initiated under false pretexts and supported by an aggressive campaign of propaganda and hate. The redrawing  of Ukraine’s borders by force  early in 2014 and continued violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remain a major challenge to the rules-based international system.

Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has already left over 9 000 dead, more than 20 000 injured, over 1.5 million uprooted from their homes within Ukraine and another million forced to flee abroad. Five million are in need of humanitarian assistance. Approaching winter makes the lives of those in need even more difficult. And yet by now this conflict barely makes into the headlines.

After a short period of lull earlier this autumn, in November the situation worsened again. It is evident that peace agreements will not be implemented fully in 2015.Daily breaches of cease-fire continue to be registered by OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. Impunity, lawlessness and abuse continue to reign in the areas held by the illegal militants. Last week again, OSCE monitors were threatened with automatic rifles.

Crimea – an integral part of Ukraine – remains occupied in breach of the fundamental principles of international law, the UN Charter, the Budapest Memorandum and bilateral treaties.  All this in spite of the fact that UN General Assembly Resolution on the Territorial Integrity of Ukraine is very clear  on  the illegality of  Crimea’s  annexation and the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

Madam President,

 As the end of the year approaches, the probability that this crisis will become yet another frozen conflict in Europe remains dangerously high. There are already too many of those. Five out of six EU’s Eastern Partnership countries bordering Russia suffer from protracted conflicts. In Moldova, Russia continues to instigate separatism. Violations of Georgia’s territorial integrity too continue unabated. The pattern could not be more obvious.  

Minsk Agreements may not be perfect, but they are the only thing we have. Today, there is simply no other alternative. We support the diplomatic efforts undertaken in the Normandy format and in the Trilateral Contact Group under the auspices of OSCE. At the same time we remain critical of the recent trend of reshaping the sequence of the commitments of Minsk agreements and putting more pressure on the political commitments of Ukraine, rather than on security commitments by Russia and its militant proxies.  

Tangible peace can only be achieved by a full implementation of the Minsk agreements. And that means full implementation by Russia which is a party to this conflict and bears direct responsibility for its de-escalation. Inter alia, Russia must withdraw its arms, weapons, soldiers and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine, cease its support for the illegal armed groups and allow Ukraine to restore full control over its international border. All hostages and illegally detained persons, including Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko, Oleg Sentsov and others, must be released. With regard to  the local elections, we remain concerned that even if postponed  to 2016, elections in the territories occupied by Russia’s militant proxies, in the presence of foreign soldiers  on the ground, will neither be free nor fair. It is up to OSCE observers to ascertain the conditions are right for conducting the elections and to assess their legitimacy. We have seen the results of Crimea’s gunpoint referendum - we don’t want to see more of the same.  All foreign weapons and foreign fighters must be withdrawn, preferably before the elections, to ensure that those elections are free and fair.

Madam President,

The lack of effective protection of  human rights  in  areas  under the control of Russia’s proxies have left people vulnerable to serious human rights abuses and violations, including killings, torture, degrading treatment, illegal detention, and forced labour.  We need to continue shining the light on the lawlessness and impunity in these areas and work to ensure that the perpetrators will one day be brought to account. Therefore, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine should continue their much appreciated work and reporting.

Also, monitors from the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, and other organisations should be allowed into Crimea to investigate the increasingly restrictive environment and curtailment of the rights of its residents, especially the indigenous Tatar community.

Sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its illegal annexation of Crimea and a deliberate destabilisation of Ukraine should remain in force until the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

This Council too has its responsibility. It has unanimously backed the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements agreed upon back in February and must deliver on its promise to demand their full implementation.

Importantly, the continuing conflict in Ukraine cannot be allowed to fester or be forgotten just because we are facing the pressing need to address other, urgent challenges.  We cannot close our eyes to the ongoing breach of the ideals, principles and rules of behaviour that have governed this Organizations and the entire international system for decades. Our failure to stand firmly for those values and principles will only embolden those willing to challenge the international order, bringing even more conflict, more instability, and more human suffering.

The international community needs to continue supporting Ukraine on its path of reforms, where significant progress has already been made. Ukraine and the Ukrainians have the right to create the future they want free from coercion and gun-point pressure by their big neighbour.

Lithuania reaffirms its support to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity with Crimea as its integral part. By supporting Ukraine, we support our own freedom and independence and the right to live free from fear and in peace.

I thank you.