General Assembly meeting on the Use of the Veto
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. Rein Tammsaar, Permanent Representative of Estonia on behalf of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
06 March 2025, New York
President,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and my own country Estonia. We align ourselves with the statements to be delivered by the European Union and Lichtenstein on behalf of group of countries.
President,
At the UN Security Council meeting on the 24th of February, Russia used its veto power against two separate amendments to a UNSC resolution 2774 tabled by the US. The amendments proposed by a group of European countries – Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom were intended to reaffirm the UN Security Council’s commitment to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter. These proposals were respectively supported by 9 and 11 members of the UN Security Council and yet, Russia decided to ignore the position of the majority of the Security Council members by voting against these principled amendments.
Russia’s vetoes also totally ignored the expression of the political will of the most democratic body of the UN – the UN General Assembly, which on the same morning gave its overwhelming support to two resolutions calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter.
By participating in the UN Security Council voting, Russia, as a party who unleashed the aggression, clearly violated the Art 27.3 of the UN Charter. We also note, that with the adoption of this resolution, UN Security Council has for the first time officially acknowledged Russia as a party in this war.
At the UN Security Council Russia stated that it considers a reference to the UN Charter “as a disruption” to a peace process, rather than a fundamental basis for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Let me remind that the purpose of the UN Charter is to maintain international peace and security. Baltic States condemn another abuse of the veto right by Russia. This undermines the principles of the UN Charter and is not compatible with Russia´s obligations as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council.
President,
To make it clear again that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim. Russia has no real desire for peace in Ukraine, otherwise they would have stopped the war of aggression and bloodshed a long time ago. Even now, instead of adhering to the resolution it supported and “swiftly ending the conflict,” Russia has continued the aggression by sending additional cannon fodder to Ukraine and by launching barrage of drones and glide bombs towards Ukraine every single day. Common sense suggests that the simplest and quickest way to end this war is not by appeasing the Kremlin’s dictator, but through a full and immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending also to its territorial waters.
Finally, impunity for the crime of aggression undermines international legal order and would only lead to new crimes. We cannot tolerate this. Therefore Russia must face full international accountability.
Thank you.