On February 24, Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa participated in a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council dedicated to the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and ways to end the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine.

Key statements:

▪️ Russia has usurped its seat in the UN Security Council, as it never legally acquired the status of a permanent member. By continuing its aggressive policy against Ukraine and other states, Russia is systematically undermining the entire system of international law.

▪️ Russia has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives on the battlefield. As its setbacks mount, it increasingly directs its hatred at Ukrainian civilians. In 2025 alone, Russia carried out thousands of attacks on civilian infrastructure using drones, aerial bombs, and missiles, deliberately targeting energy facilities, railways, and residential buildings. These are not accidental strikes – this is terror aimed not at armies, but at people.

▪️ Ukraine needs humanitarian and defense support to protect its people. The international community’s assistance during the energy crisis sends Russia a clear signal: terror will not succeed.

▪️ For Ukraine, the return of every child is not a political issue but a moral duty and a matter of justice. To date, around 20,000 children have been abducted by Russia.

▪️ More than 16,000 civilians are being held in Russian captivity. Russia systematically violates the rights of prisoners of war, extracts forced “confessions,” and persecutes people for defending their country.

▪️ Ukraine is ready for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange. We call on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to immediately release all unlawfully detained Ukrainians, including children.

▪️ Russia’s policy is not merely a series of war crimes but a campaign aimed at destroying the Ukrainian people, culture, and heritage. The world must respond decisively — terror is unacceptable in the 21st century.

▪️ Russia’s objective remains unchanged: to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible, destroy life in cities, and terrorize civilians. Its allies – Iran, the DPRK, and Belarus – are spreading chaos and destabilization worldwide.

▪️ Despite peace initiatives by the United States and Europe, Russia continues to escalate. The Kremlin demands that Ukraine withdraw from its own territory. Sovereignty and territorial integrity are red lines for Ukraine and for all UN member states.

▪️ As long as the war continues, resources must be mobilized: sanctions, defense support, security guarantees, and holding Russia accountable for the crimes of aggression, genocide, terrorism, and war crimes are critically important.

▪️ The question today is whether the UN is capable of fulfilling its primary function – maintaining international peace and security. International law must be a real instrument of peace. Without the restoration of a just and comprehensive peace, no state will be safe.

▪️ Ukraine wants peace, but we will never accept occupation, agree to territorial concessions, or compromise our freedom. Our goal is a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the UN Charter and international law.