Two years of terror following Russia's attempted annexation of Ukrainian oblasts: UK statement to the OSCE
Ambassador Holland calls out Russia's illegal attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory and the system of violence and terror that accompanies Russian occupation.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Next week marks the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation attempts in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Russia claims these land grabs, and ten years of control over Crimea, have brought liberty. On the contrary, these years of occupation have brought violence, terror, and occupation. Carried out under the guise of sham referenda and backed by military force, Russia aims to legitimise its aggression and create a false narrative of rightful control over Ukrainian land.
First implemented in Crimea, the Russian state has expanded to the newly occupied territories a systematic campaign, designed to suppress Ukrainian heritage, history, and language. This campaign goes beyond territorial ambitions; it seeks to dismantle the idea of Ukraine as a distinct nation, stripping away the cultural and national identity of its people.
We continue to be appalled by widespread reports of violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and violations and abuses of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) within the temporarily occupied territories. As the independent Moscow Mechanism reports have shown, arbitrary detentions, forced deportations, and the persecution of civilians are prevalent. Particularly alarming is the forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The most recent report details the atrocious conditions faced by both civilians and prisoners of war held in detention, and the widespread and systematic use of torture, as well as sexual violence. In recent weeks, we have also seen media reports of POWs being executed in the most barbaric manner.
Russia is also deliberately targeting Ukraine’s cultural heritage in the territory it occupies. Museums, religious sites, and historic buildings have been bombed, looted, or appropriated. This systematic destruction of cultural sites not only devastates the physical symbols of Ukraine’s heritage but also attempts to erase crucial elements of its national identity.
Madam Chair, Russia’s annexation attempts are a clear violation of the Helsinki Final Act, which enshrines the principle of territorial integrity and the inviolability of national borders. As a signatory, Russia committed to respect the sovereignty and independence of all states in the OSCE region, including Ukraine. They made the same pledge more directly in the Budapest Memorandum in the 1990s. By attempting to seize Ukrainian territory through force, Russia has flagrantly disregarded these principles. Moreover, the purported annexations represent a breach of the Paris Charter of 1990, in which all participating nations, including Russia, reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful relations, the rule of law, and the right of nations to determine their own destiny without external interference.
Russia’s continued imperialist ambitions destabilise the world, creating insecurity for all. We must call it what it is. And We must stand together to resist this dangerous expansionism. Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, and Crimea are all irrefutably part of Ukraine. The UK will never recognise Russia’s illegitimate claims to these regions. We call upon Russia to immediately cease its unprovoked illegal war and withdraw its forces unconditionally from all of Ukraine. Thank you.