On 24 February 2023, in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, delivered a statement on behalf of the Baltic States and Nordic countries at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine”.
“A year has passed since Russia started its brutal, unjustified and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aided by Belarus. It is a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. We admire the bravery and persistence of Ukrainians in the fight for their freedom and independence. We pay respect to all Ukrainian people who have died defending their homeland. Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine has trampled international norms and rules-based order,” Edgars Rinkēvičs underlined in his statement.
The Latvian Foreign Minister drew attention to Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, seeking to change the borders of a neighbouring sovereign country by military force. This constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. “We will never accept Russia’s illegal annexations of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. We call on the Russian Federation to abide by the International Court of Justice Order of 16 March 2022 to immediately suspend its military operations launched in Ukraine on 24 February 2022,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said.
The Minister noted that Russia cynically disregarded its permanent membership duties and hampers the UN Security Council’s ability to implement its mandate. “Russia started this war. Russia can and must end it immediately by withdrawing its troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. To make it happen, we must provide all the necessary means to Ukraine. Under the UN Charter, Ukraine has every right to self-defence. The Nordic countries and the Baltic States have been determined to enhance Ukraine’s military capabilities and to provide all required support,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said.
“Unable to defeat Ukraine in the battlefield, Russia terrorizes Ukraine’s civilian population. Mass killings, rapes and torture in Bucha and Izium, and illegal deportation of children are only some of the most horrifying atrocity crimes of the Russian armed forces. We condemn in the strongest terms deliberate attacks by Russia on civilians, critical infrastructure and civilian objects in Ukraine. To alleviate the suffering and facilitate reconstruction, we provide economic, political, humanitarian, financial and legal assistance to Ukraine and its people,” noted the Latvian Foreign Minister at the meeting of the UN Security Council.
Edgars Reinkēvičs said he was certain that Russia must and would be held accountable for its crimes. We support the work of the International Criminal Court to investigate atrocity crimes. In addition, the crime of aggression must be addressed to bring to justice the Russian political and military leadership who have masterminded and unleashed this criminal invasion of Ukraine. We believe that the UN should play a key role in ensuring broad international support to the establishment of a tribunal for the prosecution of the crime of aggression.
In the statement delivered on behalf of the Nordic countries and the Baltic States, Edgars Rinkēvičs drew attention to Russia using disinformation and propaganda to mobilize domestic and international support for its aggression against Ukraine. “It is extremely worrying that Russia uses food and energy as instruments in its warfare. It causes suffering for the most vulnerable nations and people globally. Russia is cynically covering it up by false narratives and disinformation, including by dishonestly blaming sanctions. It is Russia’s war against Ukraine that has aggravated an already existing food security crisis and augmented the raise of energy prices. We support the Black Sea Grain Initiative and urge Russia to extend it, and stop delaying the work of inspection teams,” the Minister called on those present.
“Today, the General Assembly reconfirmed international support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We urge the UN Security Council to uphold the UN Charter, which forms the basis for just and lasting peace in Ukraine. We welcome President Zelenskyy’s ten-point peace formula. We strongly support his vision of peace that rests on international law and the principles of the UN Charter. We shall stand by Ukraine as long as necessary,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said at the conclusion of his speech.