Ukraine: Press remarks by the High Representative after the UN Security Council meeting on the Russian aggression
Unfortunately, for the third year – it is already three times - the Security Council needs to convene to address this Russian full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine and against Ukrainian people.
I reminded [the Security Council] that Russia is a permanent member of this Council and that despite of that, Russia continues this brutal war against Ukraine, violating its territorial integrity and the United Nations Charter.
In July and August, we saw the highest civilian casualties since October 2022. It is the United Nations who reported that the number of civilian casualties has been increasing along the war.
It is clear that for Putin the purpose is to deliberately destroy homes and civilian infrastructure, especially ahead of the winter.
You know that two-thirds of the electricity production capacity has been destroyed. It is quite cold in Ukraine in winter. So, the purpose is to push people into the cold and the dark in the coming winter.
This is not a ‘special operation’. This is a way of terrorising the civilian population.
We, at the European Union, commit to supporting Ukraine and we continue supporting Ukraine.
And I heard here some “peace lovers” say that they love peace, and they want peace in the quickest possible way. Yes, they love peace; me too, the European Union [loves peace] too. Ukrainians more than anyone else. If someone is willing [to have] peace, it is certainly the Ukrainians which are suffering the consequences.
Some said: “Oh, stop this war because it is too costly for us.” Well, it is very costly for Ukrainians in terms of lives, not only in terms of money.
Yes, we have to end this war quickly. What is the quickest way of ending this war? They have not mentioned the quickest way of ending the war, which is the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia withdraws the troops and the war will end.
But they have not mentioned this quickest way of ending the war.
Maybe they are thinking of another quick way of ending the war, which is Ukrainian surrender. Yes, without our support, Ukraine would have to surrender.
Is that what they are proposing? [It is] not our case. We do not want this way of ending the war.
We do not want Ukraine surrendering and losing its national identity, its freedom and its territory, and becoming a second Belarus. That has to be clear.
I would like to explain to all these “peace lovers” – who say they want peace – why we should continue supporting Ukraine, if they are attached to the United Nations Charter and the dignity and freedom of the people.
Peace does not mean submission. We want a lasting peace. Peace does not mean surrender. We want a peace that respects the sovereignty [of Ukraine]. Peace does not mean occupation. Let's clarify what does it mean when we talk about peace: no occupation, no surrender, no submission.
It is important to engage in peace efforts, certainly. To support the Ukrainian military does not exclude to support the peace process. Both things have to go together, hand in hand, the two sides of the same coin. The more Ukraine will be stronger, the more we will be able to go to a peace negotiation.
A peace initiative that will not reward the aggressor. No peace initiative should succeed if it neglects the United Nations Charter.
And as President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy said, there is one [UN] Charter, only one [UN] Charter, no different one for different situations, and borders cannot be re-drawn by force. As simple as that. Borders cannot be re-drawn by force.
This is the first interstate war in Europe since the end of World War II [launched] in order to change the borders.
The Security Council should stand to reaffirm its commitment to the United Nations Charter – it is quite elementary, no? - that the Security Council should support the United Nations Charter, demand an immediate end to Russia's [war of] aggression, and hold accountable those responsible for the many atrocities committed.
I was in Bucha, and it was not ‘theatre’, as the Russian ambassador has said; “it was just a fake”. Well, it was not a fake. The corpses of hundreds of people in the streets were not fake. They were there during the Russian occupation. The satellites do not lie. The satellite shows reality and shows who was there before the Russians left.
This war will end. All wars end – but it matters how they end.
Today, Ukraine is paying the highest price with their blood and their lives, with the destruction of their country.
It also matters to the rest of the world. Because this war is not only destabilising the world. It is not only creating hunger and high prices of food and energy worldwide. It is also creating a new way of imperialism from the past, to try to dominate the common future.
So, international law and rule is not a choice, it is a necessity. If we fail in Ukraine, we will fail everywhere else.
That is the message I tried to convey to the Security Council.
Thank you.
Q&A
Q. First of all, you have talked about the need for Ukraine not to lose this war. Yet we have in this country, Donald Trump has said if he seeks negotiation, he will not say who wants to win this war. What do you make of that approach, if you can comment on that? Secondly, if I may ask you about the Middle East. We are nearly a year now into this crisis, and I just wanted to ask you to reflect on the approach of the United States and its diplomacy, while on the one hand arming Israel but seeking a diplomatic outcome. Can you reflect on how effective you think that approach has been? Here we are a year later with still the war in Gaza, now the potential for a very serious escalation in Lebanon.
On Gaza, you will have to wait for the debate of the Security Council on Gaza. Today is about Ukraine. There is another Security Council discussion in Gaza, and believe me, I will attend and I will answer your question. And the first question … [former President Donald] Trump, for the time being, is just a candidate. I will wait until Trump is sitting again in the White House in order to consider his proposals.
Q. What do you think of his comment that he will not say who should win the war?
Well, I do not want to comment [former President Donald] Trump's comment. I am not a commentator.
Q. Are you saying that the European Union is making no preparations whatsoever for a Donald Trump victory and you are only going to change course once the elections happen?
No. I have been following this war from the beginning. One thing is clear: at the beginning of the war, nobody was expecting Ukraine to resist. At the American Embassy, immediately after the war started, they were packing to leave because nobody expected Ukraine to resist. The reason was clear: Russia is the number four in the world for military expenditure. Ukraine is number 35. So, the difference between the military capacity of Russia and Ukraine is an abysmal, it’s incredible.
So, the fact that Ukraine was resisting was a kind of miracle. In the beginning, we offered Ukraine – what did we offer to Ukraine? – helmets. Now we are offering F-16. It is quite a difference, no? But immediately after, when people in the Chancelleries – and myself in Brussels – considered that Ukraine was resisting, was not 2014. Allow me to remind you, in 2014, when the Crimea invasion [happened], in the Munich Conference, the Europeans did not want to arm Ukraine, they refused to arm Ukraine. They considered this.. well, impossible to resist. This time, we did it. We have to continue doing that. I do not know what the Americans, the United States with the new presidency will do or not. But for the time being, allow me to say that, European Union support – if you add military, civilian, economic, financial and humanitarian is greater than [from] the United States. More than €100 billion is the bill that we have paid. Among them, €45 [billion] for military support. Less than the United States, yes, certainly, but quite an important figure; €45 [billion] is not negligible. Adding everything together we are – I think, the European Union – no, I am sure: the greatest supporter to Ukraine. And one thing for me is clear. As long as the Ukrainians want to resist, we have to support them. Otherwise, we will make a historical mistake.
Thank you.