77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Agenda Item 67 “The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”
Explanation of Position of Estonia on behalf of the Nordic – Baltic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Estonia
September 8 2022, New York
Excellencies, dear colleagues,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Nordic – Baltic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and my own country Estonia.
There is no justification for the ongoing war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The bloodshed released by Russia at the very heart of Europea is a major threat to international peace and security. Russia’s agression against Ukraine is, therefore, of serious concern for every State in the United Nations and must remain high on the agenda of the General Assembly.
We reiterate our strongest condemnation of the cruel and reckless war the Russian Federation wages against Ukraine causing large-scale human suffering and civilian casualties, including those of children. We also condemn Belarus for its involvement in Russia’s aggression.
Once again, we reiterate our demand for the Russian Federation to stop this war against Ukraine, of all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and call for Russia’s full respect for its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Perpetrators of the war crimes – Russian soldiers who commit them as well as those giving them orders – will be held accountable.
We recall the UN General Assembly’s conclusions that the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine is a violation of international law, including the UN Charter. We deplore the Russian Federation’s failure to implement the UN General Assembly resolutions of 2 March 2022 and 24 March 2022.
We reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We demand that Russia immediately and unconditionally withdraw all of its troops from the territory of Ukraine and implement with immediate effect the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
We fully support Ukraine in its request that the item entitled “The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine” be retained on the agenda of the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session.
Thank you!
