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President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, the potential candidate country Georgia, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

I thank the Chinese presidency for the opportunity to address the Security Council. I also thank the briefer(s).

President,

At the outset I want to reiterate the EU’s resolute condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter. I also reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders as well as its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression.

I wish to make two further points: (1) Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure is unacceptable and must stop; and (2) the EU is fully engaged in efforts to address the global consequences of Russia’s aggression, for which Russia alone is responsible.

Russia’s ongoing systematic air strikes against civilian objects and critical infrastructure in Ukraine are unacceptable and must stop. Such intentional attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure add to the growing evidence of war crimes, as reported by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and other most serious crimes under international law.

In the face of continued Russian attacks against Ukraine’s civil and critical infrastructure, the EU will intensify the provision of humanitarian and civil protection assistance to Ukraine, including equipment such as power generators, power transformers, mobile heating stations, and high-voltage and lighting equipment, to help Ukraine and its people face yet another winter at war. Via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, we have sent more than 5.000 power generators to Ukraine.

According to the 2023 UN Humanitarian Response Plan, 11.1 million people are food insecure in Ukraine. Last week, we announced an additional 100 million EUR in humanitarian support to those most vulnerable in Ukraine, especially in hard-to-reach areas. This will allow our humanitarian partners to provide essential services such as cash assistance, food, water, shelter, healthcare, psychosocial support and protection. It brings the total for EU humanitarian aid in response to Russia's war in Ukraine to €785 million.  Unfortunately, humanitarian access remains critical, and the EU fully supports efforts by the UN and all relevant stakeholders to engage in negotiations with all parties to provide full, safe, unhindered and durable humanitarian access, in particular in areas under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation.

Russia’s unilateral decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s grain storage and export facilities, as well as its actions to hinder the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, show that Russia continues to weaponise food. By doing so, it deliberately undermines global food security. I stress the importance of security, stability and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, which is vital for sustainable grain exports.

We praise Ukraine for its unwavering efforts to resume grain exports via maritime routes, including through the organization of the 2^nd International Summit on Food Security on 25/11. The successful establishment of the “Ukraine corridor” for civil cargo ships has allowed Ukraine to export over 1,5 million tons of food, thus contributing to enhancing global food security. We commend efforts by Ukraine and the private sector to put in place an insurance scheme that reduces the costs of this route. Through Ukraine’s own “Grain from Ukraine” program, over 170.000 metric tonnes of grain have been donated to countries in need, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. We condemn the devastating attack on a civilian cargo ship in the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny, earlier this month.

The EU supports all efforts, including those of the UN, to facilitate exports of Ukraine’s grain and other agricultural products to the countries most in need, notably in Africa and the Middle East. We will also further enhance the capacity of the EU’s Solidarity Lanes to facilitate transit and export via land routes to world markets, which have enabled the export of more than 57 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural products so far. In addition, the EU will continue to deliver on its ambitious response to address global food insecurity. Together with our Member States, we are providing 18 billion EUR in grants to countries and people in need, including humanitarian and food assistance.

Tragically, the weaponisation of food is nothing new. Every year, towards the end of November, Ukraine commemorates the Holodomor famine and its victims. This year it is the ninetieth anniversary of the Soviet Union’s use of hunger as a weapon against the Ukrainian people. The EU and its Member States join Ukraine in honouring the millions of victims of this terrible crime. If we do not educate ourselves about our history, we risk repeating our mistakes. That is why we support Ukraine’s initiative of a joint declaration and we call on all other UN members to support it as well.

President,

In closing I emphasize that the EU will continue to provide strong financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. We will continue our intensified diplomatic outreach efforts and cooperation with Ukraine and other countries to ensure the widest possible international support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace and the key principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.