United Nations Security Council

“ For months, Russia has been holding a gun to Ukraine’s head. Now, President Putin’s finger is on the trigger. A full-scale conflict in a country of 44 million people will bring immense suffering, casualties on both sides and devastating humanitarian consequences. The members of the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretary-General have all called this week for respect for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The world is calling for peace, but Russia is not listening. ”

“ The current situation in Kosovo is of grave concern to all of us. We and our allies have begun military action only with the greatest reluctance. But we believe that such action is necessary to respond to Belgrade's brutal persecution of Kosovar Albanians, violations of international law, excessive and indiscriminate use of force, refusal to negotiate to resolve the issue peacefully and recent military build-up in Kosovo all of which foreshadow a humanitarian catastrophe of immense proportions. ”

“ On the threshold of the 21st century, Europe cannot tolerate a humanitarian catastrophe in its midst. It cannot be permitted that, in the middle of Europe, the predominant population of Kosovo is collectively deprived of its rights and subjected to grave human rights abuses. We, the countries of the European Union, are under a moral obligation to ensure that indiscriminate behaviour and violence, which became tangible in the massacre of Racak in January 1999, are not repeated. ”

“ Ignoring the primary and principal body for collective decision-making on maintaining international peace and security — and, in fact, the system itself, which was created and nurtured as a result of the Second World War — means obstructing the system, signing it off and effectively destroying it, thereby ignoring the lessons of the bloodiest-ever war, which the leaders of the Member countries, and above all the permanent members of the Security Council, a generation ago vowed to respect. ”

“ The current crisis in the Serbian province of Kosovo in particular and in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in general is a source of great concern to us. The degree of brutality perpetrated on the civilian population, the massacre of women, children and the elderly, the displacement of people from their homes, kidnappings and the wanton destruction of property continue to take place in Kosovo.
What we have been yearning for in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as in any crisis situation, is peace. More violence and destruction cannot salvage peace. ”

“ We know the importance of respecting the voice and integrity of all countries, big or small. Most fundamentally, we know the value of peace. We believe that one State threatening and using lethal force against another to get its way or to expand its territory is no solution.
⁠Let us be clear — the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine have not changed. The decision of Russia to recognize as independent entities the non-Government-controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine does not change those borders one iota. ”

“ We cannot abandon that community to violent repression. What is at stake today is peace, peace in Europe — but human rights are also at stake.
The actions that have been decided upon are a response to the violation by Belgrade of its international obligations, which stem in particular from the Security Council resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The Belgrade authorities must be persuaded that the only way to settle the crisis in Kosovo is for them to halt their military offensives in Kosovo and to accept the framework defined by the Rambouillet agreements. ”

“ This is the fourth time that the Security Council is meeting on Ukraine in a matter of weeks. Every time we meet, the reality on the ground confirms bit by bit what some of us have been anticipating. Russia has been saying one thing and doing the opposite. We were told that troops were retreating when their number has only increased. We were told to stop the hysteria since troops were in Russian territory. That is no longer the case. They are invading a neighbour, unprovoked with false pretexts, false narratives and fabricated news. ”

“ A country that has most recently engaged in aggression and military intervention against its own neighbours, that has committed genocidal acts against its own population and others, that has refused to adhere to international law and numerous Security Council resolutions or to cooperate with the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia cannot now credibly plead for the protection of international law. This indeed turns on their head morality, legality and the principles for which this institution, the United Nations, stands. ”

“ For several months, the President of the Russian Federation has been patiently preparing the ground for a major offensive against Ukraine. He has amassed soldiers and weapons on a scale not seen since the end of the Second World War. He has incited violence through lies and disinformation. He has even denied the very legitimacy of the Ukrainian State. He has undermined the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine by recognizing the independence of parts of Ukrainian territory. ”

“ Refugees continue to flow into Russia. In a word, the nature of provocations by Ukraine’s armed forces has not changed. Members would prefer to ignore that fact and repeat Ukraine’s fairy tales that those living in Donetsk are bombing themselves.
⁠ It is no surprise that the ever-increasing suffering of those living in Donbas does not appear to affect our Western colleagues. At today’s General Assembly debate, they were unable to find one word of compassion or sympathy for the residents of Donbas. It is as if, for them, those 4 million people do not exist. ”

“ According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the current security environment in Kosovo is characterized by a disproportionate use of force, including heavy weaponry, by the Yugoslav authorities against the poorly armed Kosovar Albanians. One thing should be clear: combating the so-called acts of terrorism in Kosovo does not in any way justify gross human rights violations or the failure to respect international norms and international humanitarian law. ”

“ In doing so, the Charter bestowed on them a special responsibility that reflected the sacrifices that they had made to defeat a unique evil to humankind. We believe that the leaders who designed today’s multilateral system were profoundly humbled by the catastrophic war that they had survived, so much so that they were inspired to erect the sovereign equality of States as a central pillar of our United Nations. ”

“ In some capitals, our determination to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo has apparently been underestimated. It goes without saying that a country — or an alliance — which is compelled to take up arms to aver such a humanitarian catastrophe would always prefer to be able to base its action on a specific Security Council resolution. The Secretary-General is right when he observes in his press statement that the Council should be involved in any decision to resort to the use of force. ”

“ We urge that that avowed commitment to diplomacy to which the Russian Federation alluded be backed by present actions that de-escalate the situation on the ground and permit an atmosphere for dialogue. We note with concern the risk that an escalation of the situation in Ukraine holds for global peace, and we stress that those that choose the path of conflict rather than peace bear the consequences of their actions. ”

“ NATO's decision to use military force is particularly unacceptable from any point of view because the potential of political and diplomatic methods to yield a settlement in Kosovo has certainly not been exhausted. The enormous quantity of complicated work done by the international community has now been dealt a very powerful, a very grave and probably an irrevocable blow. ”

“ The international community time and again called on the authorities in Belgrade to respect human rights and to cooperate with the international community with a view to settling peacefully the question of greater autonomy for Kosovo, but to no avail. ”

“ We have a duty to ensure the return to their homes of the hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons. Aggression must not be rewarded. An aggressor must know that he will have to pay a high price. This is the lesson to be learned from the 20th century.
"Nor will the international community tolerate crimes against humanity. Those now persisting with the conflict in Kosovo should not forget that the mandate of The Hague Tribunal covers Kosovo. They and their leaders will be held personally accountable for their actions. ”

“ For the past 13 months the continuing crisis in Kosovo has caused tremendous hardship and suffering to the civilian population in the province. The continued repressive actions on the part of the Yugoslav security forces against the Kosovar Albanian community, which have again intensified during the past few days, have led to tragic humanitarian consequences. Many lives have been lost, while more than half a million Kosovar Albanians have been forced to flee their burning homes and villages and seek refuge elsewhere in Kosovo and in the neighbouring countries. ”

“ Belarus stresses that the use of military force against Yugoslavia without a proper decision of the only competent international body, which is undoubtedly the United Nations Security Council, as well as any introduction of foreign military contingents against the wish of the Government of Yugoslavia, qualify as an act of aggression, with all ensuing responsibility for its humanitarian, military and political consequences. ”