UN Security Council Briefing on Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. Julius Pranevičius, Permanent Representative of Lithuania on behalf of the Baltic States
20 April 2026, New York
President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Baltic States, and we also align ourselves with the Statement of the European Union.
Once again, we are meeting to voice our condemnation of Russia’s ongoing brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
We highly value the efforts of the UN humanitarian and international humanitarian agencies, as well as the leadership of UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale, for their essential role in supporting affected Ukrainian civilians and helping to rebuild destroyed infrastructure. We also highlight the vital work done by local volunteers and humanitarian workers.
Russia is continuing its war of terror despite the multiple calls for peace, including resolution 2774 adopted by this Security Council, countless resolutions of the General Assembly, the International Court of Justice decisions.
Despite the resource drain, numerous casualties and equipment losses sustained by the aggressor’s army itself, Russia refuses to hear the voice of international community calling for a ceasefire. Whenever it claims to agree to a halt in hostilities, it repeatedly violates its own commitments – as portrayed during the Orthodox Easter, when Russia violated the ceasefire almost 11 thousand times.
At the beginning of this month Russia vetoed the Security Council resolution demanding that Iran stop its attacks against civilians in the neighboring Gulf states. This is not surprising, seeing as Russia supports and backs numerous undemocratic, regimes across the globe, including Iran. Currently, Russia provides crucial intelligence support to Iran, aiding it in its terror campaign across the Middle East. Meanwhile Iran supports and backs Russia’s own war of terror against Ukraine by providing military technologies that Russia uses to destroy cities and kill innocent civilians.
President,
Supported by Belarus, DPRK and Iran, but also fueled by shadow fleet tankers illegal oil trade and supply of dual-use technologies Russia is perpetrating aggression and instability across the world, including by the hybrid activities aimed at deception.
On March 31st we commemorated the fourth anniversary of the liberation of the town of Bucha, Ukraine. It was here that the widespread evidence of war crimes by Russian soldiers during Russia’s occupation was first revealed.
The documented evidence of executions, torture, conflict-related sexual violence, and the forced transfer of Ukrainian civilians, including children, requires sustained international monitoring, regular reporting, and continued action by relevant accountability mechanisms.
We are particularly alarmed by Russia’s continued forced transfers, deportation, indoctrination, and militarization of Ukrainian children, an issue that must remain high on the international agenda. Without delivering justice to victims of atrocities, there can be no just and lasting peace.
Last week’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians in Dnipro, Kyiv and Odesa, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100, are part of the deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure by Russia.
The Baltic States will never agree to overlook Russia’s atrocities that it is committing in Ukraine. We reaffirm our full support for Ukraine in standing up to Russia’s terror and call on international community to maintain pressure on Russia to comply with our demands for just peace.
We will continue to call for full accountability and implementation of the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued against Russian political and military leadership, including Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over allegations of involvement in the war crimes of child abduction during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Baltic States call on all partners to support the establishment and speedy activation of the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This is not only about justice for Ukraine—it is about upholding the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, and accountability for breaching international law.
I thank you.