On February 23, during a visit to New York, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba took part in a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council convened by the Guyana presidency.

"Today, Russia’s name is synonymous with aggression, war crimes, and barbarism. Its ugly face is the direct result of its impunity, stemming first and foremost from its presence in this chamber’s seat. This is the seat of the Soviet Union, a state that does not exist anymore, and it has never been legally transferred to the Russian Federation. This is an example of how a small fraud led to a global catastrophe," the Minister said in his speech.

Dmytro Kuleba reminded that Russia has no legal right to hold a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and that the upcoming reform should correct this historical mistake that led to catastrophic consequences.

"Putin’s regime, which has been in place for around 24 years now, has already ruined millions of human lives. During this time, Moscow has launched or joined at least three major wars in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria, which is approximately one war every eight years. It also stands behind the attempted coup in Montenegro and destabilizing efforts in the Sahel region. And the scariest thing is that we must now focus not only on the lives already taken by Russia but also on the lives that it is prepared to take in the future," he said.

Dmytro Kuleba recalled the barbaric methods of Russian warfare, the so-called "meat assaults," as the Russians themselves call them, and the destruction of Avdiivka. He noted that since October 2023, Russia has lost at least 17,000 military personnel during the capture of the city. This is more than the Soviet Union lost during the ten years of the war in Afghanistan.

"Russia acted every time this Council failed to act. For every word uttered in this chamber, Russia took a real human life. And its happening right now and continues to happen. And it is only through our resolute and joint actions that we can put the aggressor in its place and restore international peace and security," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized.

The Minister emphasized that the most important thing that those present in the UN Security Council hall should realize is that there are many cities outside Ukraine that could repeat the fate of Avdiivka if Russian imperialist conquests are not stopped.

"On the eve of the invasion two years ago, I warned that no nation would be able to sit out the crisis that was about to begin. And this is what happened. So please who did not hear me two years ago. Please hear me today. Either we stop Russia in Ukraine now by expelling the invaders, or we will face a fire that will claim millions of lives," he warned.

The Minister noted that future generations will look back on this time and will not be able to understand why the world community could not stop one country that decided to destroy international peace and security.

"Instead of watching Moscow create problems and inviting others to solve them, which is the usual Russian strategy, we must push Russia back. Because Russia is the problem, the global problem," said Dmytro Kuleba.

The Minister emphasized that Russia is still hoping for indecision, internal strife, and the habituation to war to weaken international support for Ukraine.

"We shall not allow this to happen. We will rally the world behind our true cause even more. Russian terror only strengthens our resilience and commitment. Please remember, that more support to Ukraine means more opportunities for peace, just and lasting peace based on the UN Charter and Peace Formula proposed by Ukraine," he concluded.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else in the world, but Ukrainians will not allow Russia to kill themselves with impunity on the way to it.

"We will never accept any offer to surrender or to concede our lands and freedoms under the guise of peace. Not only because it will make futile the ultimate price we are paying now for two years in a row, but also because we will all be doomed to pay a much higher price in the future. And if you genuinely wish to lower this price to give peace a chance, send us air defense to protect our civilians and ammunition to stop the Russian army on our soil," Dmytro Kuleba summarized.