On November 18, while on a visit to New York, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha took part in a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council convened by the British presidency and dedicated to 1000 days of resistance of the Ukrainian people to full-scale Russian aggression.
“I departed for this meeting during one of the largest air attacks in months. Russia launched over two hundred drones and missiles at peaceful Ukrainian cities. I spent a sleepless night with my family, with my kids, just like thousands of Ukrainian families. Russia struck critical civilian infrastructure once again. Ordinary residential buildings. Energy system. Transmission substations of our nuclear power plants. This is a direct threat to nuclear safety and security,” the Minister said in his speech.
Andrii Sybiha said that these strikes are Russia's response to all those who have recently called and visited Putin, asking him for peace.
“Putin wants war, not peace. We must increase the price of war for him,” he said.
The Minister emphasized that a thousand days of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression proves Ukrainian bravery, but at the same time shows the inability of the international community to stop the wars of aggression and atrocities.
“We must be honest. International mechanisms have failed. They are not working. We need to create new tools. We need to be principled and united to restore respect for the UN Charter,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized.
The Minister emphasized that a thousand days of resistance to total war is a huge price to pay for a nation that wants to be free and live a normal life. He added that the price of the Russian war is paid not only by Ukrainians, but also by people around the world.
“By launching its invasion, Russia harmed many more countries and people than only Ukraine. This invasion has worsened many global crises. Russia weaponizes food, energy, and other resources — affecting millions of people,” the Foreign Minister said.
Andrii Sybiha reminded that Russia's naval blockade of Ukrainian ports has led to food shortages and record high food prices. According to him, about four hundred million people around the world rely on Ukrainian grain. Many of them are at risk of real hunger.
The Minister emphasized that Russia is also turning energy into a weapon and endangering people not only in Ukraine but also in other countries. He added that Russia's war has become one of the main factors that has slowed global economic growth and increased inflation.
Andrii Sybiha drew the audience's attention to the fact that Russia's blatant violation of international law has caused a global security crisis. He noted that if Russia's aggression is successful, other aggressors will be tempted to attack their neighbors and commit atrocities.
“Since the beginning of its aggression in 2014, Russia has violated about four hundred international treaties. Defense spending around the world is rising and taking resources away from education, healthcare, tackling climate change, and other important global issues,” the Minister said.
“Imagine what it’s like to lose in one second your beautiful young wife and three children aged ten and two years, and just two months. Because your home was struck by a Russian drone. This is what happened a few days ago to thirty-four year-old Maksym Kulyk from Kryvyi Rih. This is the price of the war,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
Andrii Sybiha emphasized that no one in the world pays a higher price for Russian aggression than the people of Ukraine. He emphasized that this is why the Ukrainian people should determine the terms of peace.