Joint Statement – The Ambassadors/High Commissioners of Australia, the European Union, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States
We stand united in our support of Ukraine in the face of
Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression and the illegal
annexation of Ukrainian territories by the Russian Federation,
which constitutes a manifest violation of the UN Charter.
Russia is violating international law and undermining global
security and stability.
We deplore the loss of life and the human suffering. At least
10,000 civilians have been killed, and nearly 20,000 have been
injured since Russia launched its war of aggression against
Ukraine on 24 February 2022 (United Nations Human Rights
Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, January 2024). The military
death toll is significantly higher and going into hundreds of
thousands.
Ukraine has suffered a huge displacement of its people: from
remarks by the head of the UN in Ukraine, there are 4.5 million
internally displaced persons in Ukraine and 5.9 million people
fled across borders and found safety and refuge in Europe.
On 2 March 2022, in the UN General Assembly, 141 countries
– an overwhelming majority of UN members – supported the
resolution condemning Russia for its brutal aggression.
On 12 October 2022, the UN General Assembly passed a
resolution by a large majority of 143 countries, calling on
countries not to recognise the four regions of Ukraine, which
Russia has claimed, and demanding that Moscow reverse
course on its « attempted illegal annexation”.
On 23 February 2023 in the UN General Assembly, an
overwhelming majority of 141 countries called for
restauration of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukraine is the country that was brutally invaded. A Ukraine-
driven process like the Peace Formula, rooted in international
law and with accountability for Russia’s actions, should be the
basis for all of our efforts to end the war.
Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for
waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and for other most
serious crimes under international law, as well as for the
massive damage caused by its war.
We stand by Ukraine and thank all countries that uphold
international law, including the UN Charter, condemning the
Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Port Louis, 23 February 2024