Statement by the Republic of Lithuania on behalf of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine
Statement by the Republic of Lithuania on behalf of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Friday, 23 June 2023.
Madame President,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and my own country Lithuania. I thank USG DiCarlo for her briefing and the Presidency for the opportunity to address the Council.
Russia’s unprovoked, unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, aided by Belarus, is ongoing for almost a year and a half now. Innocent people have been killed, injured and displaced from their homes. Families have been torn apart and children have been orphaned. The physical and emotional scars of the war will be felt for generations to come.
Schools, hospitals, and other public facilities have been destroyed, leaving people without access to essential services. According to the World Bank’s assessment, carried out in collaboration with the Ukrainian Government, the European Commission and the United Nations, the reconstruction needs for the damages caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine are estimated to be around $411 billion over the next decade.
This staggering amount highlights the severity of the damages caused by the Russian aggression and the need for significant investment to rebuild the country. The calculations conducted so far, however, do not incorporate the detrimental impact of the Kakhovka Dam's destruction by Russia and its humanitarian, economic and ecological consequences.
Madame President,
It is unacceptable that despite repeated calls from the United Nations on the Russian Federation to provide safety guarantees for crossing the front line to the left bank of the Dnipro River and ensure humanitarian access to all civilians impacted by the destruction of the dam, such guarantees have not yet been provided. It is imperative that Russia takes immediate action in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to allow the United Nations to provide the much-needed humanitarian aid to those affected by this devastating act, including in Oleshky.
The Baltic states are among the top bilateral aid donors to Ukraine as a percentage of our GDPs. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania already provided 1.5 million EUR of immediate assistance to Ukraine to alleviate the consequences of Kakhovka dam destruction, and this does not include private initiatives. The cost of addressing the repercussions of Russian aggression against Ukraine, a sovereign nation, are consistently increasing, while only 26% of the total $3.9 billion required for the humanitarian response in Ukraine has been funded up to this point. We urge the international community to persist in providing the necessary funding.
The work of the UN and its agencies to ensure close monitoring and proper documentation of massive human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law should continue. We hope for a sober and accurate assessment of the situation due to Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine in the forthcoming annual reports of the Secretary General on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Children in Armed Conflicts.
Madame President,
Allow me also to express Estonia’s, Latvia’s and Lithuania’s appreciation for the active UN engagement in alleviating the global consequences of Russia’s aggression, including through the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Russia continues to hinder the exports of Ukrainian goods from Ukrainian ports, and thereby contributing to a significant increase in food prices on global markets. Russia also continues manipulating the facts and repeatedly threatens to end the Black Sea Grain Initiative if its demands are not met.
In fact, according to available statistics, including of Russian origin, Russian exports of grain and fertilisers have been consistently high in recent years. In case of grains, they have even reached record levels. In 2022, due to higher prices, Russia's export revenues from fertilisers increased by an impressive 70%-150%, depending on the source. According to the FAO, the export volume of Russian fertilizers in 2022 has only decreased by 10%. Russia must stop blackmailing global community and allow the Black Sea Grain Initiative to operate at its maximum potential.
Finally, Madame President,
Our countries continue to argue for the full Russia’s political and military leadership’s accountability for the crime of aggression. The Core Group on the Special Tribunal for the Russian crime of aggression will hold its 4th meeting in Warsaw on 29-30 June and we call on other states and international organizations to join our collective efforts.
We will continue to stand with Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes for Ukraine to rightfully defend itself against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The only path for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine is the one based on full respect for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Withdrawal of Russian troops is a key precondition of that.
We welcome all the efforts of our global partners in reaching peace in Ukraine that are in line with the Ukraine’s peace formula, the UN Charter and the international law.
I thank you.
