Madam President,
I thank Mr. Jenca for his presentation.
A few days ago, Russia announced that it had struck the Ukrainian region of Dnipro using, for the first time, an intermediate-range ballistic missile called “Orechnik”. It accompanied this strike, which caused damage in civilian areas, with threats against states which support Ukraine in its right to self-defense.
Russia is thus choosing escalation in the illegal war of aggression that it itself provoked against Ukraine.
None of the pretexts alleged to try to justify this should obscure this reality: it attacked Ukraine in violation of the United Nations Charter. It is prolonging this war, even though it could put an end to it without any prejudice to its security, by ceasing its military operations and withdrawing its troops from Ukrainian territory, as demanded by the International Court of Justice in March. 2022.
Russia chooses to flout international humanitarian law to try to crush the resistance of the Ukrainian people. For many months, it has been carrying out systematic strike campaigns against Ukrainian residential areas and energy infrastructure.
It also chooses to jeopardize the international non-proliferation architecture, when it obtains drones, munitions and ballistic missiles from Iran and, always in violation of Security Council resolutions that it has yet supported, with North Korea. It now hosts a deployment of North Korean troops on its soil, whose involvement in the fighting would constitute a new escalation.
In this conflict there is an aggressor, Russia, which no longer hesitates to violate entire sections of international law, and to adopt a posture of escalation, in order to continue its war of conquest. There is one attacked, Ukraine, which has the right under the Charter to defend its independence and territorial integrity.
France continues to stand alongside Ukraine and its people, including by providing them with military support that allows them to effectively exercise their right to self-defense. This right, let us remember, includes the possibility of striking military sites in Russia, when these are used to wage the war of aggression against Ukraine. It must be able to defend itself and engage, when it wishes, in negotiations with a view to a just and lasting peace.
Russia must not count on our demobilization. To let this war achieve its goal would be to accept international disorder and the law of the jungle, where force takes precedence over right. We will remain committed to a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
Thank you.
